need the direction
2006-12-17 12:23:22 · 4 answers · asked by Jose C 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The direction of the acceleration is in the same direction as the net force causing it. f = ma is actually a vector equation in which f and a are both vectors and m is a scalar constant.
Doug
2006-12-17 12:30:47 · answer #1 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The net force F = m A, where F is a vector and A is also a vector.
If the direction of the vector A is different than that of the vector F then F cannnot be said to be equal to mA.
Thus necessarily the net acceleration must be in the direction of the net force.
If you consider a component of the force the component of the accelration will be in the direction of the force.
If you consider F cos a then F cosa = mA cos a.
The direction of F cos a is the same as mA cos a.
2006-12-18 07:26:42 · answer #2 · answered by Pearlsawme 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe the direction of acceleration should be exactly the same as the direction of the net force that produces it
2006-12-17 20:25:13 · answer #3 · answered by firefly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of a body. It is not necessary that a body will always move in the directon of force, rather it can also move along a direction of some resolved component of the force. Therefore the direction of acceleration will also be along the resolved component of the force. For example if we apply a pull on a lawn roller, it will be applied generally in a direction making an angle with the horizontal whereas the movement of the roller is horzontally. so a component of the main force works horizontally and accelerates the roller.
2006-12-17 22:05:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋