Acceleration
Fastest Man on Earth
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Acceleration web notes on today’s calendar.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is acceleration?
2. Why is acceleration a vector quantity?
3. What does a position vs. time graph look like when
showing changing velocity?
4. What is constant acceleration?
5. What are the units for acceleration?
6. What is the equation for finding average acceleration?
7. Explain how acceleration can be both positive and
negative.
Acceleration
• Acceleration is a vector which measures the change in the
velocity of an object.
• It has magnitude and direction.
• This means acceleration could be any of the following three…
1. a change in speed, the magnitude of the
velocity (from 34 km/h to 67 km/h)
2. a change in direction (from East to North-
East)
3. a change in both speed and direction (from
34km/h East to 12 km/h West)
Acceleration
• When an object has acceleration, it covers a different distance
each second it is in motion.
• Remember: Constant velocity means an object in motion
covers the same distance each second it is in motion.
• Which car or cars (red, green, and/or blue) are undergoing an
acceleration? Study each car individually in order to determine
the answer.
• Which car (red, green, or blue) experiences the greatest
acceleration?
Consider the position-time graph below. Each
one of the three lines on the position-time graph
corresponds to the motion of one of the three
cars. Match the appropriate line to the particular
color of car.
Graphing
• Remember: A position vs. time graph that shows
a constant velocity has a linear slope
• A position vs. time graph that shows a changing
velocity has a curved slope.
Velocity- Time Graphs Notes
• A velocity time graph tells us the speed of an
object in a given period of time and is based on
position time data.
• The slope of a velocity time graph is
acceleration.
• The graph also gives a picture of the initial and
final velocity of an object
Usain Bolt
12.2 m/s or 27 mph
Understanding Velocity Time
Graphs
Constant Acceleration
• Occurs when an accelerating object changes its velocity by the
same amount each second
• An object with a constant acceleration should not
be confused with an object with a constant
velocity
• If the velocity is changing, then the distance
traveled/time is not a constant value
Average Acceleration
• Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes
• A rate quantity means that time is in the denominator
a = acceleration vi = initial velocity
vf= final velocity t = time
Acceleration Units
• Units for velocity
• m/s
• Km/h
• Acceleration is velocity/time so units include
• m/s/s or m/s2
Direction of Acceleration
• Direction depends on two things
• If the object is speeding up or slowing down
• If the object is moving in a positive or a negative
direction
• Acceleration is positive when . . .
• The object is speeding up
• The object is moving in a positive direction (forward)
• Acceleration is negative when . . .
• The object is slowing down
• The object is moving in a negative direction
(backward)
Example
A bus traveling at 30 km/h speeds up at a
constant rate of 3.5 m/s2. What velocity
does it reach 6.8 seconds later?
How can we rearrange this
equation to solve for vf?
Kinematic Equations
• We can use variations of the basic velocity
equation and solve for the variables time,
final velocity, initial velocity, distance, and
acceleration.
• Foldable Instructions
Useful Equations
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