A particle is travelling from point A to point B. These two points are separated by distance D. Assume that the initial velocity of the particle is zero.

Given that the particle never increases its acceleration along its journey, and that the particle arrives at point B with speed V, what is the longest time that the particle can take to arrive at B?

(In reply to re: Is it in the wording? by ThoughtProvoker)

Is the initial velocity taken to be AT point A? Or was the initial velocity zero at some point before it arrived at point A, and it is just now passing through point A?

Sure....constant velocity implies zero acceleration, but zero velocity means that something is stationary - surely! Newton's first law - Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

If the initial velocity is zero at point A, then the particle does not move away from point A. The question is where (along it's journey) is the velocity zero - at point A, or somewhere prior to being at point A? If it has some other velocity at point A, and does not increase it's acceleration from this point onward, then I can understand that. Semantics?.... More a matter of definitions.

Posted by mike on 2004-05-07 02:58:41