Which one among the following situations is best represented by the velocity time plot shown above?

The velocity-time (v-t) plot shows a straight line with a negative slope starting from a positive value on the y-axis. In a v-t graph, the slope represents acceleration [1]. A negative slope indicates deceleration or negative acceleration [1]. Since the graph starts at a point above the origin (y > 0) at time t = 0, the particle possesses a non-zero initial velocity. As time progresses, the velocity decreases linearly toward zero, which characterizes uniformly decelerated motion. Uniform motion on a circle would involve changing direction and a different velocity profile, while accelerated motion would show an increasing slope [1]. Therefore, the graph best represents the decelerated motion of a particle that begins with a non-zero initial velocity and slows down over time.

Sources

1. [1] https://satheeneet.iitk.ac.in/article/physics/physics-velocity-time-graphs/