Velocity calculation in US system from acceleration

In summary, the conversation discusses the challenges of switching between SI units and the US system. The speaker explains that dividing pounds force by pounds mass will result in acceleration in g's, and gives an example. They also mention that integrating acceleration in feet/sec2 over time can be converted to feet per second and then to miles per hour using conversion factors.
  • #1
yosimba2000
206
9
I've been working exclusively in SI units up until now, so using the US System trips me up.

Given force in pounds-force, I divide it by mass (units are pound-mass) to get acceleration. I take the integral of acceleration to get velocity, which, according to the US Units, are in mph. Am I reading this correctly?
 
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  • #2
If you divide pounds force by pounds mass to get acceleration you will get a result in g's. One g is approximately 32 feet/sec2. For example, 3 pounds force applied to 2 pounds mass will produce an acceleration of 1.5 g's = 48 feet/sec2.

You can integrate acceleration in feet/sec2 over time to get a result in feet per second. Then the conversion from feet per second to miles per hour involves knowing that there are 5280 feet in a mile and 3600 seconds in an hour.
 

1. What is the formula for calculating velocity from acceleration in the US system?

The formula for calculating velocity from acceleration in the US system is v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is the time.

2. How do you convert acceleration from miles per hour squared to feet per second squared?

To convert acceleration from miles per hour squared to feet per second squared, you need to multiply the value by 1.46667.

3. Can velocity and acceleration have different units in the US system?

Yes, velocity and acceleration can have different units in the US system. Velocity is typically measured in miles per hour (mph) or feet per second (ft/s), while acceleration is measured in miles per hour squared (mph/s) or feet per second squared (ft/s^2).

4. How does the direction of acceleration affect the velocity calculation in the US system?

The direction of acceleration does not affect the velocity calculation in the US system. Both acceleration and velocity are vector quantities, meaning they have both magnitude and direction. However, in the US system, only the magnitude of acceleration is used in the velocity calculation.

5. Can the velocity calculated from acceleration be negative in the US system?

Yes, the velocity calculated from acceleration can be negative in the US system. A negative velocity indicates that the object is moving in the opposite direction of the initial velocity, and a positive velocity indicates that the object is moving in the same direction as the initial velocity.

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