Acceleration: Givens, Unknowns, and Units

Front

What is acceleration?

Back

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time. It can be positive (speeding up) or negative (slowing down).

Front

What is the formula for calculating acceleration?

Back

Acceleration (a) = (Final Velocity (v_f) - Initial Velocity (v_i)) / Time (t).

Front

What are the units of acceleration?

Back

The standard unit of acceleration is meters per second squared (m/s²).

Front

If a car slows down from 24 m/s to 15 m/s in 12 seconds, what is the acceleration?

Back

Acceleration = (15 m/s - 24 m/s) / 12 s = -0.75 m/s² (deceleration).

Front

What does a negative acceleration indicate?

Back

Negative acceleration indicates that an object is slowing down.

Front

What is the final velocity in the problem where a skateboarder accelerates from -7.0 m/s/s to 3.7 m/s in 3.0 s?

Back

The final velocity is 3.7 m/s.

Front

In the context of acceleration, what does 'deceleration' mean?

Back

Deceleration refers to negative acceleration, where an object is slowing down.

Front

What is the significance of time in acceleration problems?

Back

Time is crucial for calculating acceleration, as it indicates how long the change in velocity occurs.

Front

If a motorcycle accelerates at 7.0 m/s² for 6.0 s from 25 m/s, what is its final speed?

Back

Final speed = Initial speed + (Acceleration × Time) = 25 m/s + (7.0 m/s² × 6.0 s) = 67 m/s.

Front

What does it mean if an object has a constant speed?

Back

A constant speed means that the object's velocity does not change over time, resulting in zero acceleration.