What does negative acceleration mean?

Negative acceleration (deceleration) means the object is slowing down relative to the chosen positive direction.

What are the units of acceleration?

In SI, acceleration is measured in meters per second squared (m/s²).

How is acceleration related to force?

By Newton's second law, F = m * a, so acceleration equals the net force divided by the mass of the object.

Free Acceleration Calculator

Determine acceleration from initial velocity, final velocity, and time using a = (vf - vi) / t.

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Initial Velocity

m/s

Final Velocity

m/s

Time

Acceleration

4.0000 m/s²

Acceleration vs Time

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How Acceleration Is Computed

Acceleration quantifies the rate of velocity change per unit time.

Defining Equation

a = (v_f - v_i) / t

A positive result means speeding up in the positive direction; a negative result indicates deceleration.

Example Calculation

A car speeds up from rest to 20 m/s in 5 seconds.

01a = (vf - vi) / t
02a = (20 - 0) / 5
03a = 4 m/s²

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Understanding Newton's Laws of Motion

A comprehensive guide to Newton's three laws of motion. Learn about inertia, force and acceleration, action-reaction pairs, and how these principles govern everyday physics.

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