Is this statement true: “If an object’s velocity is zero, its acceleration must be zero"

Question

I said it is true because if an object is not moving then it must have no acceleration.

I got confused because I wasn't sure if it stated 0 was the avg velocity or not.

any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi Sofia,

The statement is not true because

1. An object can have an average velocity of zero, but still have non-zero acceleration. Example, you threw an object upwards, it reached the end of its trajectory and started moving downwards. As it passes the starting point, its average velocity is zero (because its displacement is zero), but the acceleration is non-zero.
2. An object can have an instantaneous velocity of zero, but still have non-zero acceleration. Example, the same object as in #1 above at the highest point of its trajectory.

I hope it helps.

Best,

Sofia