What is the acceleration of a car that originally travels at 160 m/s and comes to a stop in 12 seconds?

To determine the acceleration of the car, we can use the formula for acceleration, which is defined as the change in velocity divided by the time taken for that change.

In this scenario, the initial velocity of the car is 160 m/s, and it comes to a complete stop, which means the final velocity is 0 m/s. The change in velocity (final velocity - initial velocity) would be:

0 m/s - 160 m/s = -160 m/s.

Next, we consider the time taken for this change, which is 12 seconds. Acceleration can therefore be calculated using the formula:

Acceleration = Change in velocity / Time.

Substituting the values we have:

Acceleration = (-160 m/s) / (12 s) = -13.33 m/s².

The negative sign of the acceleration indicates that the car is slowing down, which is consistent with it coming to a stop. Thus, the correct answer is indeed -13.33 m/s², as it accurately reflects the car’s deceleration in response to the change in velocity over the specified duration.