Is there a limit to acceleration?

Question

We know that there is a limit to speed (the speed of light) but surely ther must be some limit to acceleration as well.

Answer 1

OF COURSE THERE IS

Answer 2

That's a good question, I never thought about that before.
I don't think that there's a limit to acceleration, as long as you are not approaching the speed of light. In other words, the limit is on the velocity provided by the acceleration and not the acceleration itself. If you have a look on the special relativity laws, you can see that gamma (this factor which appears in all laws) relates all the speeds to the speed of light.

Answer 3

Technically, I suppose you could say no - there isn't. Newton second law of motion says that acceleration and force are proportional, so you could increase the acceleration just by increasing the force.

In practice however, a large enough force would cause an object would simply disintegrate as any object undergoing acceleration would undergo shearing effects.

You have to remember that you would also be limited by what can actually be done conventionally. Electrons in particle accelerators are moved by powerful magnets, but even then there are limits.

Also bear in mind that creating a force requires energy, which puts yet more restictions on what could be feasibly done.

Answer 4

We know that there is a limit to speed (the speed of light).

It follows that Newton’s law, if it is written in the form F = m a will no longer is valid.

But the F = rate of change of momentum is valid.

The velocity of an object and mass of the object are related to each other.

When the speed increases mass also increases.

Therefore, we cannot speak of acceleration which is defined from the formula assuming that mass remains constant.

However you can ask, “Is there a limit for the rate of change of momentum?”

But, the mass increases sharply as the object approaches the speed of light,

Thus infinite force or infinite rate of change of momentum is needed to make an object move with the limiting velocity of C.

Answer 5

It would be logical that light would also have the fastest acceleration. It goes from 0 to 3.0x10^8 m/s virtually instantaneously.

So the acceleration would be 3.0x10^8 divided by the time it takes light to reach its maximum speed.

I like your question and I think the next question would be, does light accelerate or does it just come into existance at the speed of light?

At that point you might have to look at the 'jerk' (the derivative of acceleration).

If light comes into existance at the speed of light, there would be no max acceleration because it would be a Limit 3.0x10^8/x as x->0 = infinity

If light does take time to accelerate, it's likely the fastest.

Answer 6

No, not exactly, as you approach the speed of light your mass approaches infinity, the closer you get to the speed of light the more force is required to accelerate you any faster, you would need an infinite force to accelerate you to the speed of light. So for a finite force your acceleration is effectively limited by your increasing mass.
as v approaches c, m approaches ∞ so a=F/m approaches 0

the end

Answer 7

Yes. I haven't estimated its magnitude, but if you accelerate a subatomic particle too hard (typically via collisions), virtual particles in its vicinity tunnel out of the vacuum and become real particle-antiparticle pairs which prevent any higher acceleration. The energy that would have gone into increasing the particle's kinetic energy further goes into the mass energy of the created particles instead.

Answer 8

Nothing. Only an external force or unbalanced force can affect it like between car and road,between tire and brake, between car and air. Good luck and God bless!

Answer 9

well, there isnt a limit of acceleration until u reach the speed of light, then u cant acccelerate anymore

Answer 10

Yes there is to the human body it 5 times earths gravity but if technology is develops there can be accelerations equal to zero which will tear open the space time dimensions and will us to travel through time.

Answer 11

Am not sure whether there is.