Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, and it occurs when an object speeds up, slows down, or changes its direction of motion.

Example

If a car increases its velocity from an initial velocity $u = 10 \text{ m/s}$ to a final velocity $v = 30 \text{ m/s}$ in a time interval of $t = 5 \text{ s}$, its uniform acceleration $a$ is: $$a = \frac{v - u}{t} = \frac{30 - 10}{5} = \frac{20}{5} = 4 \text{ m/s}^2$$

See Also

• velocity
• Kinematics
• Deceleration