How does acceleration change with time?

1 Answer
Jun 4, 2014

Acceleration is generally defined as this by SI standards:

a=m/s^2

or meters per second squared.

If velocity is measured like so:

v=m/s

and an object is travelling, let's say, 50 meters in 5 seconds, its velocity would be 10 meters per second.

Those same variables in acceleration would make it's value 2 meters per second squared. (or meters per second, per second). Meaning for every second that passes from 0 m/s to its end velocity, the object's speed increases by 2 m/s each second until it reaches 10 m/s, which takes 5 seconds.

The quicker the time, the greater the velocity increase per second. 50/5^2=2 m/s^2

The longer the time, the smaller the increase per second.
50/10^2=0.5 m/s^2