Acceleration (Oxford AQA IGCSE Combined Science Double Award)
Revision Note
Written by: Leander Oates
Reviewed by: Caroline Carroll
Acceleration
What is acceleration?
Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity
In other words, it describes how much an object's velocity changes every second
Acceleration is a vector quantity, it has both magnitude and direction
Any change in velocity is acceleration
This includes:
Speeding up
Slowing down
Changing direction
As it is a vector quantity, the sign of acceleration tells us its direction, depending on which direction is defined as positive
If an object is speeding up (accelerating), its acceleration has the same sign as its velocity
If an object is slowing down (decelerating), its acceleration has the opposite sign to its velocity
Acceleration & Deceleration
Calculating average acceleration
Average acceleration can be calculated using:
Where:
a = average acceleration measured in metres per second squared (m/s2)
Δv = change in velocity measured in metres per second
t = time measured in seconds (s)
Change in velocity can be found using:
Where:
Δv = change in velocity
vf = final velocity
vi = initial velocity
Worked Example
A Japanese bullet train decelerates at a constant rate in a straight line. The velocity of the train decreases from 50 m/s to 42 m/s in 30 seconds.
(a) Calculate the change in velocity of the train.
(b) Calculate the deceleration of the train, and explain how your answer shows the train is slowing down.
Answer:
Part (a)
Step 1: List the known quantities
Initial velocity, vi = 50 m / s
Final velocity, vf = 42 m / s
Step 2: Write the relevant equation
Step 3: Substitute values for final and initial velocity
Part (b)
Step 1: List the known quantities
Change in velocity, Δv = − 8 m/s
Time taken, t = 30 s
Step 2: Write the relevant equation
Step 3: Substitute the values for change in velocity and time
Step 4: Interpret the value for deceleration
The answer is negative, which indicates the train is slowing down
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember the units for acceleration are metres per second squared, m/s2. In other words, acceleration measures how much the velocity (in m / s) changes every second, m/s/s.
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