Average Acceleration of a Motorboat

[a.k]

Homework Statement

A motorboat traveling in a straight line has a velocity of +4.0 m/s at some point in time. After 5.0 seconds, its velocity is +7.0 m/s. What is its average acceleration during this time?

Homework Equations

avg accel.=change in velocity/change in time

The Attempt at a Solution

7.0 m/s-4.0 m/s=3.0 m/s

[itex]\frac{3 m/s}{5s}[/itex]

0.60 m/s^2.

I don't understand why is it m/s^2 versus m/s. What does the plus sign indicate in the question in front of 7.0 and 3.0?

 

[jackarms]

Well, ##\frac{m}{s^{2}}## is just the unit of acceleration. When you have ##\frac{m}{s}##, then divide that by a time, then the denominator becomes ##s^{2}##. And the plus sign is just used to indicate the direction of the velocity, and to indicate that the boat travels in a straight line.