What is the proper formula used to calculate acceleration?

Acceleration

There are a few. The most famous is a = F/m, where F is the net force applied to a mass, m.

Acceleration is also the change in velocity, Delta-V, divided by the change in time, Delta-t. So, a = Δv/Δt. For example, if an object's velocity changes from 10 meters per second to 20 meters per second in five seconds, its acceleration is (20-10)/5 = 2 meters per second per second, or 2 meters per second squared (m/s²).

For circular motion, centripetal acceleration is v²/r, where v is the linear velocity of the rotating object and r is the radius of its circular path.

Equations in a nutshell

Constant Acceleration

a = Δv/Δt = (v_final - vi_nitial) / (t_final - t_initial)

a = (v²-u²)/2s

a = 2(s - ut)/t²

where
a=acceleration (m/s²)
v=final velocity (m/s)
u=initial velocity (m/s)
t=time (s)
s=distance (m).

Newton's Second Law

F = ma, thus, a = F/m

Centripetal Acceleration

a_c = v²/r

Warning: Calculus Speak

Acceleration is the second derivative of position with respect to time: d²x / dt², which makes it the first derivative of velocity: dv / dt. Therefore, the acceleration is the slope of the curve on the velocity-versus-time graph.

Thus:

a = dv / dt = d²x / dt²

Acceleration is a quaternion with real and vector parts:

a= (V^2/R - cDel.v)) + (dcv/dR + cDelxv + cDel.v r) a= (V^2/R - cV/R cos(v)) + (dv/dt + cv/R sin(v) + V^2/R r)

where R=ct and dR=cdt.

cv/Rcos(v) is the Centrifugal Acceleration a part of the real accelerations in the first parenthesis. The second parenthesis contains the vector accelerations.

First answer by ID2778448027. Last edit by Tediously. Contributor trust: 1 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 61 [recommend question]