If v(t) is positive, the particle is moving in which direction?

If v(t) is positive, the particle is moving in which direction?

• A. Left or Down
• B. Right
• C. Up or Right
• D. Upward only

Answer: (C)

Velocity tells you which way the position is changing in time. In the standard coordinate plane, the positive x-direction is to the right and the positive y-direction is upward. If v(t) is positive, the particle is moving in the positive direction along its path, so its motion has a component to the right or upward (and could be moving diagonally up-right if both coordinates are increasing). If it were moving left or downward, the velocity components along those axes would be negative.

Velocity tells you which way the position is changing in time. In the standard coordinate plane, the positive x-direction is to the right and the positive y-direction is upward. If v(t) is positive, the particle is moving in the positive direction along its path, so its motion has a component to the right or upward (and could be moving diagonally up-right if both coordinates are increasing). If it were moving left or downward, the velocity components along those axes would be negative.