# Calculate acceleration from distance and velocity relationship

### Physics Equations Page

How do I calculate acceleration on a velocity-time graph when total distance and the velocity at any point in time will be the slope of the curve plotting distance. Find acceleration with velocity and distance using the formula: if you only have the velocities v and u, along with distance s, the last equation. Calculate final velocity of an accelerating object, given initial velocity, But we have not developed a specific equation that relates acceleration and displacement. . In [link], the dragster covers only one fourth of the total distance in the first.

Probably not, but it depends.

There's no rule for this kind of thing. You have to parse the text of a problem for physical quantities and then assign meaning to mathematical symbols. The last part of this equation at is the change in the velocity from the initial value.

Recall that a is the rate of change of velocity and that t is the time after some initial event. Rate times time is change. Move longer as in longer time.

Acceleration compounds this simple situation since velocity is now also directly proportional to time. Try saying this in words and it sounds ridiculous. Would that it were so simple. This example only works when initial velocity is zero.

### Equations of Motion – The Physics Hypertextbook

Displacement is proportional to the square of time when acceleration is constant and initial velocity is zero. How do you calculate for distance then? You'll have to specify this a little more before we can answer. Is there constant acceleration until that velocity is reached, then the acceleration stops? If so, I bet you could solve it yourself.

Or is there, more plausibly, one of these other situations which also lead to limiting velocities: This applies to objects whose terminal velocities correspond to small Reynold's numbers.

This applies to objects whose terminal velocities correspond to larger Reynold's numbers, including typical large falling objects. Some other effect not in the list?

I think you're looking too much into my question. I don't understand what 'reynold's numbers' are. Or the time be if distance is given, but not time? I'm also wondering if the formula gets adjusted at all to compensate for a velocity limit?

If the acceleration remains constant, you can't have a maximum velocity. The difference in the two position measurements measured from some common reference point - usually the origin point, or zero represents a change in position. Typically, this is measured in meters, but always in units of distance.

### How to Find Acceleration With Velocity & Distance | Sciencing

The sign of the value designates a direction positive or negative x. This is just a generic version of the above equation, using the variable d to represent some displacement in normal, three-dimensional space. This is also measured in units of distance. The sign of this number simply denotes whether the displacement was away from positive or toward negative the origin of measurement.

Average velocity, measured in units of distance per unit time typically, meters per secondis the average distance traveled during some time interval. If the object moves with a constant velocity, it will have the same average velocity during all time durations. When examining an object's displacement-time graph, the slope of a line is equal to the average velocity of the object.

If the object's displacement-time graph is a straight line itself, then the object is traveling with a constant velocity.

If the graph is not a straight line i.

## Equations of Motion

This is just an equation relating the three main ways average acceleration is expressed in equations. Remember that if the object has a constant acceleration, its average acceleration is the exact same value.

Average acceleration, measured in units of distance per time-squared typically, meters per second per secondis the average rate at which an object's velocity changes over a given time interval. This tells us how quickly the object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction only. This equation is both the definition of average acceleration and the fact that it is the slope of a velocity-time graph. Like velocity, if the graph is not a straight line then the acceleration is not constant.

Physics Lecture - 4 - Calculating Distance Traveled

This is a simple re-write of the definition of acceleration. It is useful when solving for the final velocity of an object with a known initial velocity and constant acceleration over some time interval. If an object goes from an initial velocity to a final velocity, undergoing constant acceleration, you can simply "average" the two velocities this way. This is particularly helpful and easy to use if you know that it starts with zero velocity just divide the final velocity in half.

This is a simple re-write of the old distance-equals-rate-times-time formula with average velocity defined as above. This is a very important formula for later use.

It can be used to calculate an object's displacement using initial velocity, constant acceleration, and time. Though a bit more complex looking, this equation is really an excellent way to find final velocity knowing only initial velocity, average acceleration, and displacement.

Don't forget to take the square-root to finish solving for vf. This equation is the definition of a vector in this case, the vector A through its vertical and horizontal components. Recall that x is horizontal and y is vertical.

This equation relates the lengths of the vector and its components. It is taken directly from the Pythagorean theorem relating the side lengths of a right triangle. The length of a vector's horizontal component can be found by knowing the length of the vector and the angle it makes with the positive-x axis in this case, the Greek letter theta.

The length of a vector's vertical component can be found by knowing the length of the vector and the angle it makes with the positive-x axis in this case, the Greek letter theta.

Because the components of a vector are perpendicular to each other, and they form a right triangle with the vector as the hypotenuse, the tangent of the vector's angle with the positive-x axis is equal to the ratio of the vertical component length to the horizontal component length. This is useful for calculating the angle that a vector is pointed when only the components are known. This is Newton's Second Law, written as a definition of the term "force". Simply put, a force is what is required to cause a mass to accelerate.

Since 'g' is already a negative value, we don't have to mess around with putting a negative to show direction down is negative in our x-y reference frame.

Through experimentation, physicists came to learn that the frictional force between two surfaces depends on two things: These two factors are seen here in this equation: Since both are positive, we must include a negative to account for friction's oppositional nature always goes against motion. Another way to interpret Newton's 2nd Law is to say that the net sum total force on an object is what causes its acceleration. Hence, there may be any number of forces acting on an object, but it is the resultant of all of them that actually causes any acceleration.

Remember, however, that these are force vectors, not just numbers.