1. Understand the Concepts

* Uniform acceleration: This means the acceleration is constant over time.

* Kinematic Equations: We'll use one of the standard kinematic equations to relate initial velocity (vi), final velocity (vf), acceleration (a), and distance (d).

2. Choose the Right Equation

The most suitable equation for this scenario is:

vf² = vi² + 2ad

where:

* vf = final velocity (20 m/s)

* vi = initial velocity (16 m/s)

* a = acceleration (what we want to find)

* d = distance (36 m)

3. Plug in the Values

20² = 16² + 2 * a * 36

4. Solve for Acceleration (a)

* 400 = 256 + 72a

* 144 = 72a

* a = 144 / 72

* a = 2 m/s²

Therefore, the magnitude of the car's acceleration is 2 m/s².