Can a body have zero velocity and still be accelerating?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

Yes, the body can have zero velocity and still be accelerating because when acceleration and velocity move opposite, this condition will be reached. That is certainly doable. This state can be attained when the acceleration and velocity are moving in opposing directions. when a ball is hurled vertically up while the downward force of gravity is at work. Even if the ball’s velocity is zero at its highest point of flight, gravity causes it to accelerate nonetheless.

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1. Can a body have zero velocity and still be accelerating?

Acceleration of Body in Zero Velocity

When the ball is in the air, the Earth’s surface gravity causes it to always accelerate downward at a rate of around 9.8 m/s2. This acceleration causes the ball’s velocity to change from positive to negative. Because of this, it accelerates even if its velocity is 0 at extreme locations.

Velocity is the rate at which the position of an item shifts with respect to time and a frame of reference. The act of traveling swiftly in one direction is all that velocity is, despite its sophisticated appearance. The definition of velocity calls for both magnitude (speed) and direction because it is a vector quantity. Its SI equivalent is the meter per second (ms-1). A body is considered to be accelerating if the magnitude or direction of its velocity changes.

When gravity first exerts a force on an object, its initial velocity defines how quickly the object moves. The final velocity, on the other hand, is a vector number that gauges a moving body’s speed and direction after it has reached its maximum acceleration.

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