Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude (speed) and direction.
The three equations for motion acceleration are:
To calculate acceleration, divide the change in velocity (Δv) by the change in time (Δt). This can also be written as (vf - vi)/t. The result will be in units of meters per second squared (m/s²).
Average acceleration is the overall change in velocity over a given period of time, while instantaneous acceleration is the acceleration at a specific moment in time. Average acceleration can be calculated using the first equation listed above, while instantaneous acceleration can be calculated using calculus.
According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. This means that the greater the mass of an object, the more force is needed to accelerate it at the same rate.