Which statement describes the skydiver's motion?
The skydiver has a constant velocity. The skydiver is accelerating.
A skydiver is moving downward with decreasing speed as her parachute opens.
An object's velocity describes its speed and its direction.
An object has a constant velocity when neither its speed nor its direction is changing. So, an object has a constant velocity when the object is:
moving in a straight line at a constant speed, or
remaining motionless.
If an object does not have a constant velocity, the object is accelerating. An object is accelerating when either its speed or its direction is changing. So, an object is accelerating when the object is:
speeding up,
slowing down, or
changing direction.
The skydiver is slowing down. So, the skydiver is accelerating.