Is it possible to have zero velocity and still be accelerating?

Instantaneous velocity refers to the speed of an object at a specific moment in time and in a particular direction. Unlike average velocity, which measures the overall rate of change in position over a given interval, instantaneous velocity drives our understanding of an object's motion at any given instant. Calculating instantaneous velocity involves examining an infinitesimally small interval of time to ensure accuracy of the speed and direction at that moment.

For example, when you throw a ball into the air, it doesn't move at a constant speed. As it rises, it slows down, and at the very top of its arc, its instantaneous velocity is zero because it's not moving up or down at that split second. However, if you were to check the ball's velocity just before or after that moment, a different value would be recorded. The concept is crucial for solving problems in physics where the speed and direction of objects change frequently, and precise measurements are required.

The acceleration due to gravity is a constant rate at which objects are pulled towards the Earth's surface, regardless of their mass, if other forces are negligible. This gravitational acceleration on Earth is approximately measured as \(9.8 m/s^2\). This value assumes that the object in motion is within a vacuum, meaning that there are no air resistance or other forces opposing gravity.

When an object such as a ball is thrown upwards, gravity acts on it throughout its journey -- accelerating it downwards even when it moves up. As it ascends, the upward velocity decreases until it momentarily becomes zero at the peak. This brief moment of zero velocity doesn't negate the constant pull of gravity. Hence, the acceleration due to gravity remains in effect, steadily influencing the object's motion throughout its ascent and descent.

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. It is a measure of how quickly the velocity of an object is changing over time. This can include speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction. Acceleration is a vector quantity, which means it has both a magnitude (how much the speed changes) and a direction (the direction of the speed change).

It's essential to understand that an object with zero velocity can still have acceleration. If we throw a ball straight up, it slows down due to gravity until it momentarily stops at the top of its trajectory. At this point, the ball has zero velocity as it is not moving; however, the acceleration due to gravity is still acting on it, which eventually causes the ball to change direction and begin to descend. Thus, even at zero velocity, the acceleration is present, indicating a continuous rate of velocity change.