How Do You Calculate the Magnitude of Acceleration for a Particle in Motion?

[schrock]

A location of a particle is given in m by x, y and z coordinates as function of time in s as:
x= -11+9t+11t^2
y= -23-21t
z= -93+25t+11t^2

What is the magnitude of the objects acceleration at t= 3.00s?

Would I add the second derivatives for magnitude?

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi schrock!

A location of a particle is given in m by x, y and z coordinates as function of time in s as:
x= -11+9t+11t^2
y= -23-21t
z= -93+25t+11t^2

What is the magnitude of the objects acceleration at t= 3.00s?

Would I add the second derivatives for magnitude?

You mean |a| = x'' + y'' + z'' ?

Nooo …

Acceleration is a vector (just like velocity ).

So its magnitude is calculated from its components the same way as for any vector.