1. Knowing the change in velocity and the time interval:
* Acceleration (a) = (Final velocity (v) - Initial velocity (u)) / Time (t)
This formula is derived from the definition of acceleration, which is the rate of change of velocity.
2. Knowing the force and the mass:
* Acceleration (a) = Force (F) / Mass (m)
This is based on Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
3. Knowing the displacement, initial velocity, and time:
* Acceleration (a) = 2 * (Displacement (s) - Initial velocity (u) * Time (t)) / Time² (t²)
This formula is derived from the equations of motion for uniformly accelerated motion.
Units:
* Acceleration: m/s² (meters per second squared)
* Velocity: m/s (meters per second)
* Time: s (seconds)
* Force: N (Newtons)
* Mass: kg (kilograms)
* Displacement: m (meters)
Example:
Let's say a car accelerates from rest (initial velocity = 0 m/s) to a final velocity of 20 m/s in 5 seconds. To find the acceleration, we can use the first formula:
* a = (20 m/s - 0 m/s) / 5 s
* a = 4 m/s²
This means the car accelerates at a rate of 4 meters per second squared.
