Acceleration
Learning Objectives
- Students will understand acceleration as change in velocity over time
- Students will calculate acceleration from velocity and time data
- Students will recognize that acceleration is a vector quantity
Core Concepts
- Acceleration: rate of change of velocity
- Acceleration due to change in speed OR direction or both
- Uniform acceleration: constant acceleration
Formulas
$$a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}$$
Rate of change of velocity
$$a = \frac{v_f - v_i}{t}$$
Acceleration from initial and final velocities
Units
| meter per second squared | m/s² |
Interesting Fact
Acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.8 m/s²) affects all objects equally, regardless of mass
Key Scientist
Isaac Newton
Connected acceleration to force via F = ma
Philosophy
Acceleration represents change in motion itself; it raises the philosophical question of whether change is fundamental to reality or merely appearance.
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