Acceleration

Presentation is attached below

Cliff Notes

I. Acceleration

A. Acceleration: the change in velocity over time

B. Examples

1. a ball rolling down a hill picks up speed (acceleration)

2. a ball rolling down a steep hill picks up speed faster (more acceleration)

2. a ball starting to go up a hill slows down (deceleration)

3. a ball on a flat surface will keep rolling (zero acceleration)

C. Formula

acceleration = change in velocity/time or (final velocity-initial velocity)/time

acceleration = a final speed = vf initial speed = vi time = t

II. Examples

Ex1 Initial velocity is 3 m/s, initial velocity is 12 m/s. Time it took to change velocity is 3 seconds. What is

the acceleration? (12 m/s - 3 m/s) / 3 s = 3 m/s²

^{Ex2 A car moving at 35 m/s sees an old lady and hits the brakes. It slows down to 15 m/s in 5 seconds.}

^{Calculate the acceleration. (15 m/s – 35 m/s) / 5 s = -4 m/s2}

^{Ex3 A cyclist going 10 m/s accelerates at 4 m/s2 for 3 seconds. What is his final speed?}

^{Solve either using a timeline or changing the formula to solve for final speed: 22 m/s}

^Attachments

^{Acceleration Practice Problems - practice problems for mastering acceleration}

^{Acceleration - class presentation with notes on acceleration}