Acceleration Flashcards
What is the sign convention for rightward motion?
Positive (+)
Right, east, and forwards are considered positive directions.
What is the sign convention for leftward motion?
Negative (-)
Left, west, and backwards are considered negative directions.
What is the sign convention for upward motion?
Positive (+)
Up and north are considered positive directions.
What is the sign convention for downward motion?
Negative (-)
Down and south are considered negative directions.
Define acceleration
Rate of change of velocity
Acceleration is defined as how quickly velocity changes over time.
How is acceleration measured?
Metres per second squared (m s⁻²)
Acceleration is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.
What does a negative acceleration indicate?
Object slowing down in the positive direction or speeding up in the negative direction
Negative acceleration indicates a decrease in velocity in the positive direction.
What is the formula for change in velocity?
Final velocity - Initial velocity
Change in velocity must consider direction and is a vector quantity.
If an object has an initial velocity of 5 m s⁻¹ west and a final velocity of 3 m s⁻¹ east, what is its change in velocity?
8 m s⁻¹
The change in velocity is calculated by considering the direction: west is negative and east is positive.
How do you calculate average acceleration?
Change in velocity divided by time or (Vf - Vi) / t
Average acceleration can be calculated using the formula a = Δv / Δt.
Fill in the blank: Acceleration is a ______ quantity.
vector
Acceleration has both magnitude and direction.
If a skater’s velocity changes by -1 m s⁻¹ each second, what is their acceleration?
-1 m s⁻²
This indicates a change in velocity of 1 m s⁻² to the left.
