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Acceleration
The rate at which velocity changes with time is called ACCELERATION. Whenever an object changes velocity, it is acclerating. Something can accelarate by:
Final and inital (starting) velocities are usually measured in METERS PER SECOND(m/s), and time is measured in SECONDS(s). Acceleration is therefore measured in units of METERS PER SECOND SQUARED.
Because velocity takes direction into account, so does acceleration. Therefore, when your car goes around a corner (even if it keeps the same speed), you feel the acceleration as a force that seems to push you toward the outside of the corner. Acceleration is positive when it is in the same direction as the object's motion, and positive acceleration means the object is speeding up. Acceleration is negative when it is in the opposite direction of the object's motion, and it means the object is slowing down. Negative acceleration can also be called DECELERATION. |