What does accelerometer values represent

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter tusyukomi
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Accelerometer
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 3K views
tusyukomi
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
hi can anybody tell me what does the values means and how are the calculated ?
like for example : x : 0.333
y : -0.40
z : 0.523

thanks a million ;)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well, presumably they represent some acceleration in each of the axis.
They don't mean anything without the context.

Usually an accelerometer would produce lots of readings ... perhaps these are mean accelerations. The instrument is usually measuring them much the same way a balance measures mass.

You can make an accelerometer by suspending a cork underwater by a thread attached to the bottom of the container. The angle of the thread from vertical is the acceleration, and the angle of the tilt on the horizontal is the direction.

Another way is to trap an air-bubble in a long glass tube (like a spirit level only longer) which is curved (concave-down). The position of the bubble is the acceleration.

Yet another way is just a weight on a lever mounted on a spring - this way the acceleration is opposite to the displacement of the weight.
 
Last edited: