what the hell is acceleration?

Question

please explain it in a way that i might understand it!

Answer 1

the rate that speed changes
it can either be faster, or slower - positive or negative

Answer 2

Many of the answers you have gotten say "Acceleration is a change in velocity." That is wrong. If you were going 10 m/s (meters/second) and now you're going 25 m/s, that's a change in velocity of 15 m/s. The proper units for acceleration are distance/time^2 or in this case, m/s^2 (meters/second squared).

Consider a ball being held on a slope. At t=0 it is free to start rolling downhill with, let's say an acceleration downhill of 5 meter/second^2. What this means is that at the end of the first second, it has a speed of 5 m/s. At the end of the 2nd second, it's going 10 m/s. At the end of the 3rd it's going 15 m/s. An acceleration of 5 m/s^2 means each second, the speed will increase by 5 m/s. The formula that gives this is V = Vo + a*t. Notice that the units of a*t are ... ((m/s^2) * s = ...) the units are m/s which is right for velocity. OK?

What Marys Son says above "If it DOES NOT change speed but CHANGES ONLY DIRECTION in which it is moving - IT IS STILL ACCELERATING." is true. That's what happens if the acceleration is in a direction perpendicular to the current velocity. That's maybe a complication you're not ready for yet. In my discussion above I assume the acceleration is in the direction of the velocity.

Answer 3

Increasing velocity.

If you go from 10 mph to 20 mph in an hour, you've accelerated at a rate of 10 miles per hour per hour. Because velocity includes direction as well as speed, if you are going at a constant speed but changing direction, you're accelerating also. That's why it feels like you're going faster when you go around a curve, even when you're going the same speed.

And you didn't ask, but you might be interested in knowing that increasing acceleration is called "jerk". Seriously.

Answer 4

Speed! If you throw a baseball, it accelerates
so many m.p.h. until gravity makes it slow down
and finally it stops.

Also, another law of motion is, if you dove off of a rowboat in the middle of a lake, you would go one way and the force of your body pushing off of the boat would make it accelerate in the
opposite direction.

Get a physics book and look up acceleration
and Newton's laws of motion.

Finally, when you get into the car and put your foot on the gas pedal the car "accelerates" until
you apply an external force "the brakes" or again, until the force of gravity stops it!

Answer 5

Acceleration is the GAINING of velocity.
Watch the speedometer next time you're in a car.If the needle keeps moving to the right,it's acceleration.You should feel yourself being "pushed" back into your seat.
If the needle stays put,then you are at a "constant velocity".You really won't notice any sensation of movement.Not counting looking out the windows , of course!
When the needle of the speedo moves left (or down) you are deccelerating,or slowing down.You'll feel yourself being "pulled" to the dashboard of the car.
Acceleration is all about a CHANGE in speed.

Answer 6

Acceleration is change in velocity per unit of time. An object can accelerate in 3 ways: by increasing velocity, decreasing velocity, or changing directions. The possible units for acceleration are : (km/n) /sec, miles/sec^2, or meters/sec^2.

Answer 7

Acceleration means the act of gaining speed or velocity, this can be achieved usually from gravity. Like a car when you push the gas peddle down. Or how a penny will hit the ground harder when you drop it from a higher place.

Deceleration is the act of something slowing down or reducing in velocity usually due to friction or other resistance. Like when you hit the brakes in a car.

Answer 8

When you feel yourself press into the seat of your car as you scream of down the street. This is because you are accelerating.
When you feel funny in the stomach in a lift and all light. This is because you are accelerating downwards. These feelings come as a reaction to the force required to make you go faster and faster. Or slower and slower.
Hope this is the begining of understanding this.

Answer 9

Acceleration may be defined as the change in VELOCITY of an object.
If a body undergoes a CHANGE in its SPEED AND / OR DIRECTION - IT IS ACCELERATING.
If it DOES NOT change speed but CHANGES ONLY DIRECTION in which it is moving - IT IS STILL ACCELERATING.
If SPEED changes but NOT direction - STILL, it is ACCELERATING.
It is important to remember that something is accelerating IF its SPEED AND / OR DIRECTION is CHANGING while it's moving -- AND -- IT CAN KEEP THE SAME SPEED BUT STILL ACCELERATE -- IF ITS DIRECTION is CHANGING. THE KEY is ALWAYS this - IF THERE is a CHANGE in either SPEED or DIRECTION of movement of an OBJECT -- that OBJECT is ACCELERATING. Good luck - Hope this helps.

Answer 10

Acceleration is simply the rate of increase of something. It could be the rate something is decreasing so you could say it is decreasing in size at an accelerated speed. It could be the rate of increase in size. Or it could be the rate of decrease of size. Many other ways of using the word. More if a change of speed of something. Look it up.

Answer 11

acceleration is merely a change in velocity. Negative acceleration is sometimes referred to as deceleration. Acceration occurs as the result of applying force to an object.