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IGCSE Physics, Cambridge 0625, Malaysia

Deceleration

A decrease in speed; acceleration in the opposite direction to the velocity.

Deceleration means the object is slowing down. It is acceleration in the direction opposite to the motion.

In calculations, deceleration can be represented as a negative acceleration (if the initial direction is taken as positive). A car decelerating at 3 m/s2^2 loses 3 m/s of speed every second.

On a speed-time graph, deceleration appears as a line with a negative gradient (sloping downward).

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