A steady, incompressible, two-dimensional velocity field is given by

\[ \vec{V}=(u, v)=(2.5-1.6 x) \vec{i}+(0.7+1.6 y) \vec{j} \]

where the \(x\) - and \(y\)-coordinates are in meters and the magnitude of velocity is in \(\mathrm{m} / \mathrm{s}\). The shear strain rate in \(\mathrm{s}^{-1}\) is

(a) -1.6

(b) 1.6

(c) 2.5

(d) 0.7

(e) 0