(8)Defining Acceleration

• Acceleration


  The rate of change of speed with respect to time
• Example


  • A car starts from rest and accelerates at 3 m/s every second for 8 s
• The speed is increasing by 3 m/s every second
• Acceleration of the car

  3 m/s/s which is same as: 3 m/s2 OR 3 ms-2
• Calculating acceleration


  Acceleration = Rate of change of speed

  Acceleration = (Change in speed) / (Time taken for this change to occur)

  Acceleration = (Final speed - Initial speed) / (Final time - Initial time)

  a = ∆v/∆t