1. Acceleration
Unit 1: Motion

2. I CAN...
Explain acceleration and use the acceleration formula to solve problems

3. Velocity, Speed, and Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity
Recall: velocity tells both the speed and direction of motion and a rate of change means the change over a time period

4. Speeding Up & Slowing Down
We tend to think of accelerating as being synonymous with increasing speed. However, any change in speed (increasing or decreasing in nature) is a change in velocity and therefor acceleration.

5. When speed increases we refer to it as a positive acceleration
When speed decreases we refer to it was a negative acceleration
Both pulling out from and stopping at a stop sign are types of acceleration

6. Changing Direction
Every time a moving object changes direction, it's velocity changes. If velocity changes, the object is accelerating.
Think about driving around the block, or going cruising. With every turn you take, you are accelerating-- even if your speed never changes!

7. Calculating Acceleration
Acceleration is the change in velocity over time.
The change in velocity can be found by subtracting the initial velocity from the final velocity
Change in velocity = Vf - Vi
Acceleration = change in velocity Vf - Vi
Time t

8. Check your units!!! Velocity is given in m/s and a direction
Acceleration is velocity over time
Acceleration should be given in meters per second squared!

9. Practice Problems
See worksheet

10. Solving for position and velocity
If acceleration is CONSTANT, the following equations can be used: v= vo +at x= xo + vot +(1/2)at2 v2= vo2 + 2a(x-xo)

11. Variables
V= velocity X= position T= time A= acceleration A “o” indicates the beginning condition (ex vo means the velocity at the beginning of the problem)