Forces and Motion

What is Acceleration?

A change in velocity is called acceleration.

What is the Equation for Acceleration?

Acceleration = Change in Velocity ÷ Time.
This equation is written as

a = (v-u) ÷ t

where a = acceleration
v = final velocity (the one it ended up with)
u = initial velocity (the one it started with)
t = time

This equation is important!


What are the Units of Acceleration?

The units of acceleration are m/s2
called "metres per second squared".


What is Negative Acceleration?

If an object gets faster, it will have a positive acceleration.
If an object gets slower, it will have a negative acceleration
(this is sometimes called "deceleration"
but the term "negative acceleration" is preferred).

See the next page for calculations.

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