Which term describes a decrease in speed?

Which term describes a decrease in speed?

• A. Deceleration
• B. Angular velocity
• C. Moment of inertia
• D. Angle of release

Answer: (A)

When something slows down, its speed is decreasing. In physics this is described as deceleration—the rate of change of velocity that points opposite to the direction of motion, causing the velocity’s magnitude to drop. Think of a ball rolling on a gym floor that gradually loses speed due to friction; its velocity is getting smaller, so it is decelerating. Angular velocity describes how fast something rotates, not how fast it moves in a straight line. Moment of inertia is about how hard it is to change an object's rotational motion, not the rate of slowing down. Angle of release relates to the direction you launch something, not how its speed changes over time. So the term for a decrease in speed is deceleration.

When something slows down, its speed is decreasing. In physics this is described as deceleration—the rate of change of velocity that points opposite to the direction of motion, causing the velocity’s magnitude to drop. Think of a ball rolling on a gym floor that gradually loses speed due to friction; its velocity is getting smaller, so it is decelerating.

Angular velocity describes how fast something rotates, not how fast it moves in a straight line. Moment of inertia is about how hard it is to change an object's rotational motion, not the rate of slowing down. Angle of release relates to the direction you launch something, not how its speed changes over time. So the term for a decrease in speed is deceleration.