A car has an initial velocity of 12 m/s and is brought to rest over a distance of 45 m. The acceleration of the car is

To find the acceleration of the car, we use the third kinematic equation of motion: v² = u² + 2as, where 'v' is the final velocity, 'u' is the initial velocity, 'a' is the acceleration, and 's' is the distance. Given that the car has an initial velocity (u) of 12 m/s and is brought to rest, its final velocity (v) is 0 m/s over a distance (s) of 45 m. Substituting these values into the equation: 0² = (12)² + 2(a)(45), which simplifies to 0 = 144 + 90a. Solving for 'a' yields 90a = -144, resulting in a = -1.6 m/s². The negative sign indicates deceleration, as the car is slowing down to a stop. This application of uniform acceleration equations is a fundamental principle of kinematics.