What is the relationship between g and a in physics?

[jaded18]

what's the difference between a and g?? i think i know that g will almost always be associated with -9.8 meters per second squared, and that a can be any other number in many different cases ... so that's it? g is always -9.8 ??

 

[bob1182006]

a is the general variable for acceleration.

g is just one special case since we use it all the time for gravity.

also g = 9.8 or 9.81... the - comes from the problem and how you setup your coordinate system.

 

[jaded18]

ok thanks i got it