Physics Problem: Deceleration of a Speedboat

What happens when a speedboat moving at 30.0 m/s with a constant deceleration of -3.50 m/s² approaches a buoy marker 100 m ahead?

a) The speedboat will speed up
b) The speedboat will maintain its speed
c) The speedboat will slow down

Answer:

The correct answer is c) The speedboat will slow down.

When a speedboat moving at 30.0 m/s approaches a buoy marker 100 m ahead and starts decelerating with a constant acceleration of -3.50 m/s², it will slow down as it approaches the marker. In this scenario, the boat's initial velocity is 30.0 m/s, and it decelerates at a rate of -3.50 m/s².

Deceleration, or negative acceleration, occurs when an object slows down due to a force acting against its motion. In the case of the speedboat approaching the buoy marker, the deceleration causes the boat to reduce its speed as it gets closer to the marker.

As the boat continues to decelerate with a constant acceleration of -3.50 m/s², it will eventually come to a stop at the buoy marker with a final velocity of 0 m/s. This demonstrates the relationship between acceleration, velocity, and distance in a physics problem involving deceleration under constant acceleration.