Question

At a certain instant, the velocity of cylinder b is 0.89 m/s down and its acceleration is 2.92 m/s2 up. determine the corresponding velocity and acceleration of block
a. the velocity and acceleration of a are positive if down the slope and negative if up the slope.

Answer 1

Both the velocity and acceleration are vector quantities. It means that this parameter does not only have magnitude, but also the direction of motion. The direction is incorporated by the + or - sign depending on the sign convention. In this case, the downward motion is + while the upward motion is -. Thus, the velocity is equal to +0.89 m/s while the acceleration is -2.92 m/s².