What does it indicate if acceleration is negative?

When acceleration is negative, it typically indicates that the object is experiencing a decrease in its speed over time, commonly referred to as slowing down. This situation occurs when the direction of the acceleration is opposite to the direction of the velocity. For example, if a car is moving forward and begins to decelerate, the acceleration will be negative relative to the direction it was moving.

Negative acceleration does not imply that an object is necessarily moving in reverse or is at rest; rather, it quantifies how the speed of the object is decreasing. Thus, the correct understanding of negative acceleration is crucial to comprehending motion dynamics.