Acceleration Calculator

Calculate Acceleration, Velocity, or Time

• Acceleration
• Final Velocity
• Initial Velocity
• Time

How to Calculate Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. It's a fundamental concept in physics that describes how quickly an object's velocity is changing.

What is the Formula for Acceleration?

The basic formula for acceleration is:

\[ a = \frac{v - v_0}{t} \]

Where:

• \(a\) is the acceleration in meters per second squared (m/s²)
• \(v\) is the final velocity in meters per second (m/s)
• \(v_0\) is the initial velocity in meters per second (m/s)
• \(t\) is the time interval in seconds (s)

What are the calculation steps?

1. Determine the initial velocity (\(v_0\)) and final velocity (\(v\)) of the object.
2. Calculate the change in velocity: \(\Delta v = v - v_0\)
3. Determine the time interval (\(t\)) over which this change in velocity occurred.
4. Divide the change in velocity by the time interval: \(a = \frac{\Delta v}{t}\)

Example of Acceleration Calculation

Let's calculate the acceleration of a car that speeds up from 0 m/s to 20 m/s in 5 seconds:

Given:

• Initial velocity (\(v_0\)) = 0 m/s
• Final velocity (\(v\)) = 20 m/s
• Time (\(t\)) = 5 s

Using the acceleration formula:

\[ a = \frac{v - v_0}{t} = \frac{20 - 0}{5} = \frac{20}{5} = 4 \text{ m/s²} \]

Therefore, the car's acceleration is 4 m/s².

Diagram of Acceleration

The following diagram illustrates the concept of acceleration:

This graph shows velocity increasing linearly over time, which represents a constant acceleration. The slope of this line is the acceleration.