What is acceleration?

Acceleration is a fundamental concept in physics that characterizes how an object's velocity changes over time. It measures the rate at which the speed or direction of an object changes. In other words, it is a measure of how quickly an object's velocity is changing.

To understand how to calculate acceleration, you need to know the initial velocity (starting velocity) and final velocity (ending velocity) of the object, as well as the time it takes for the velocity to change. Acceleration is defined as the change in velocity divided by the change in time.

The formula for acceleration is:

Acceleration = (Final velocity - Initial velocity) / Time

The unit of acceleration is meters per second squared (m/s²) in the metric system. This means that for every second an object accelerates, its velocity changes by the specified amount.

To measure acceleration in practical situations, you can use tools such as accelerometers, which are commonly found in smartphones and other electronic devices. These devices can measure changes in velocity and compute acceleration based on the change in time.

In summary, acceleration represents the change in an object's velocity over time, and it can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time.