The graph represents the motion of a cyclist at the start of an Olympic race - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2016 - Paper 1

To find the initial acceleration, we use the formula for acceleration:

$a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}$

From the graph, the initial velocity of the cyclist at 0 seconds is 0 m/s. At around 2 seconds, the velocity is approximately 16 m/s. Therefore, the change in velocity ($\Delta v$) is:

$\Delta v = 16\, \text{m/s} - 0\, \text{m/s} = 16\, \text{m/s}$

The change in time ($\Delta t$) from 0 to 2 seconds is:

$\Delta t = 2\, \text{s} - 0\, \text{s} = 2\, \text{s}$

Now substituting these values in:

$a = \frac{16\, \text{m/s}}{2\, \text{s}} = 8\, \text{m/s}^2$

Thus, the initial acceleration is 8 m/s².