Acceleration
The average acceleration of an object can be calculated using the equation:
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Acceleration = Change in velocity/Time Taken
acceleration, a, in metres per second squared, m/s^2
change in velocity, ∆v, in metres per second, m/s
time, t, in seconds, s
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An object that slows down is decelerating.
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The acceleration of an object can be calculated from the gradient of a velocity–time graph.
The distance travelled by an object (or displacement of an object) can be calculated from the area under a velocity–time graph.
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The following equation applies to uniform acceleration:
final velocity^2 − initial velocity^2 = 2 × acceleration × distance
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final velocity, v, in metres per second, m/s
initial velocity, u, in metres per second, m/s
acceleration, a, in metres per second squared, m/s^2
distance, s, in metres, m
Near the Earth’s surface any object falling freely under gravity has an acceleration of about 9.8 m/s^2 .
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