Why is the SI unit for acceleration m/(s^2)?

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SUMMARY

The SI unit for acceleration is defined as meters per second squared (m/s²), which is derived from the formula for acceleration as the change in velocity over time. The discussion clarifies that while one might express acceleration as meters per second per second (m/s/s), this is mathematically equivalent to m/s². The conversion from m/s/s to m/s² is valid because dividing by seconds effectively squares the unit of time, leading to a consistent representation of acceleration. This understanding resolves any confusion regarding the representation of acceleration in different forms.

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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the fundamentals of motion and the proper use of SI units in scientific contexts.

ffleming7
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Why is the SI unit for acceleration \frac{m}{s^2}(meters per second squared) when it is actually \frac{m}{\frac{s}{s}} (meters per second per second). Isn't the part concerning the seconds different? Wouldn't this give you different answers sometimes, or does that usually never get in the way.
 
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meters per second per second is the same thing as meters per second squared. If you want to do it division style, the seconds move to the denominator so you might as well write s*s as s^2.
 
ffleming7 said:
Why is the SI unit for acceleration \frac{m}{s^2}(meters per second squared) when it is actually \frac{m}{\frac{s}{s}} (meters per second per second). Isn't the part concerning the seconds different? Wouldn't this give you different answers sometimes, or does that usually never get in the way.
The way you've written it is not correct. It is \frac{\frac{m}{s}}{s} = \frac{m}{s}* \frac{1}{s}
 
Last edited:
Thank you. That makes a lot more sense now. So \frac{\frac{m}{s}}{s} = \frac{m}{s}* \frac{1}{s}=\frac{m}{s^2}.
 

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