Science
Acceleration.
Definition
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. An object accelerates whenever it speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A car going from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds is accelerating at about 4.5 m/s²
- 2 A ball thrown upward decelerates at 9.8 m/s² due to gravity until it momentarily stops at its peak
- 3 A car turning a corner at constant speed is still accelerating because its direction is changing
Key Fact
a = Δv / Δt; SI unit is meters per second squared (m/s²).