Acceleration—a change in velocity

·      3 kinds:

o    Positive acceleration—speeding up

o    Negative acceleration—slowing down

o    Centripetal acceleration—changing direction, turning

 

Calculating acceleration

·      Acceleration = change in velocity per unit time

·      Mathematically:

·      Units: m/s²

 

Graphing acceleration

·      Acceleration can be seen on a velocity time graph, like this one:

·      Positive slope = positive acceleration, or speeding up

·      Negative slope = negative acceleration, or slowing down

·      Flat line = no acceleration, constant speed