Here's why:
* Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. It means that acceleration tells you how quickly the velocity is changing.
* Constant acceleration means the velocity changes at a constant rate.
Imagine a car moving forward (positive velocity). If you apply the brakes (constant acceleration in the opposite direction), the car will slow down. Eventually, the car will come to a stop. Then, if you continue applying the brakes, the car will start moving backward (negative velocity).
Example:
Let's say a car is moving at 10 m/s to the right (positive velocity). If it experiences a constant acceleration of -2 m/s² (negative acceleration), it will slow down. After 5 seconds, the car will come to a stop. If the acceleration remains constant, the car will start moving backward (negative velocity).
Key point: It is important to remember that acceleration is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. If the acceleration is in the opposite direction to the velocity, it will cause the velocity to decrease and eventually reverse direction.
