What does negative acceleration indicate in terms of motion?

Negative acceleration, often referred to as deceleration, indicates that an object is slowing down. When an object experiences negative acceleration, its velocity is decreasing over time. This can occur when the object is moving in a positive direction but is being acted upon by a force that opposes that motion, such as friction or air resistance.

For example, if a car is moving forward and the driver applies the brakes, the car will experience negative acceleration as it slows down. The rate of change of velocity is negative in this case, signifying that the speed of the object is reducing.

While negative acceleration can sometimes be associated with a change in direction (such as in circular motion), it primarily reflects a decrease in speed when looking at linear motion. Therefore, the interpretation of negative acceleration as the object slowing down is accurate and highlights a fundamental concept in kinematics.