Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change in the velocity, which is measured in metres per second squared (m/s2). When an object changes velocity, it accelerates.

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  • Acceleration indicates how quickly an object is speeding up. So, we can say that acceleration is the change in velocity over a period of time.

The equation to calculate the average acceleration is:

A mathematical formula defining acceleration. It states: "Acceleration equals change in velocity divided by time taken", with "change in velocity" in the numerator and "time taken" in the denominator.

A mathematical equation representing acceleration. It reads: "a equals Δv over t", where "a" stands for acceleration, "Δv" represents the change in velocity, and "t" denotes time. The formula is displayed with "Δv" in the numerator and "t" in the denominator.

  • a = Acceleration in metres per second squared (m/s2)
  • Δv = Change in velocity in metres per second (m/s)
  • t = time taken in seconds (s)

Δ is the delta symbol, which means change. So, Δv means change in velocity. This can also be written as v − u, in which v is the final velocity and u is the initial velocity. So by subtracting the initial velocity from the final velocity, we get the change in velocity.

Acceleration is a vector quantity, meaning it takes into account both magnitude and direction. Therefore, acceleration can be a negative number, indicating that an object is slowing down, also known as deceleration.

Uniform Acceleration

If an object moves with uniform acceleration, it means that its velocity changes by the same amount during each equal time interval. In other words, the object’s speed is increasing at a constant rate. In this case, we can use this equation:

An equation in physics. It states: "(final velocity) squared minus (initial velocity) squared equals 2 times acceleration times distance".

A physics equation. It reads: "v squared minus u squared equals 2 times a times s", where "v" represents final velocity, "u" is initial velocity, "a" denotes acceleration, and "s" stands for distance.

  • v = Final velocity in metres per second (m/s)
  • u = Initial velocity in metres per second (m/s)
  • a = Acceleration in metres per second squared (m/s2)
  • s = Distance in metres (m)

You might already be familiar with most of the symbols in this equation. However, this equation includes distance instead of time. You have to choose which equation to use based on the question. If the time taken is unknown, then it is likely that you will have to use this equation.

Also, note that if an object starts from a stationary position, its initial velocity is 0.

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