How Objects Accelerate by Slowing Down and Turning

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

This physics video provides an in-depth exploration of acceleration, challenging the common misconception that it only refers to speeding up. The instructor explains that in physics, acceleration is a vector quantity defined as any rate of change in velocity. Through clear visual examples and animations, the video demonstrates the three distinct ways an object can accelerate: speeding up, slowing down (negative acceleration), and changing direction (turning). Special attention is given to the direction of acceleration vectors relative to velocity vectors in each scenario. The content moves from conceptual understanding to mathematical application. It guides students through a step-by-step problem-solving process to calculate negative acceleration using the formula for rate of change in velocity. The video uses a race car deploying a parachute as a practical example, showing how to determine variables, select the correct equation, and solve for the answer with appropriate units and significant figures. This resource is highly valuable for physical science and physics classrooms as it bridges the gap between intuitive understandings of motion and formal physics definitions. It specifically addresses the tricky concept of "slowing down" as acceleration in the negative direction and the often-overlooked fact that turning at a constant speed is also acceleration. The included practice scenarios at the end provide immediate formative assessment opportunities for teachers to check student comprehension.