ACCELERATION

From a stationary start, a cheetah can reach speeds close to 100 km hr – 1 in just 3 seconds. This
change in speed is much faster than the best sports car can manage as can be seen in the table
below. Such enormous speeds cannot be sustained for long. This is generally not a problem
because the chase of the cheetah is usually over in less than a minute. Changes in velocity are
called acceleration.
Car Time to accelerate to 100 km hr – 1 (s)
Nissan GT-R 3.5
BMW 135i 5.6
Volkswagen Golf GT1 7.3
Ford FG Falcon 7.3
Holden VE Commodore 8.1
Honda Civic 9.8
Toyota Tarago 17.7

ACCELERATION is a measure of the rate at which the speed or velocity of an object changes.
Acceleration is measured in metres per second per second (m s –2). Acceleration tells us how
much the speed or velocity of the object changes each second. Acceleration may be positive (the
object speeds up) or negative (the object slows down). For example, a car moving at 20 m s –1
accelerates to 60 m s –1 over a period of 5 s. Its speed changes from 20 m s –1 to 60 m s –1, a
change of 40 m s –1. This change takes 5 s. So, on average, the change in speed is 8 m s –1 each
second. We say that the average acceleration of the car is 8 m s –1 per second, or 8 m s –2.
Average acceleration can be found using the following mathematical equation:

the change∈velocity ( ms−1 )

Average Acceleration = occur ( s ) ¿
thetime taken for that change ¿

v−u
a=
t

Where a = acceleration (m s –2),

v = final velocity (m s –1),

u = initial velocity (m s –1) and t = time (s)

Using algebra, this equation can be rearranged to give:

v = u + a× t
(v = u + at)
From this equation you can obtain a second equation:
s=ut+½×a×t2
(s = ut + ½ at2)
Where s = displacement (m).
A third equation that can be derived is:
v 2 = u2 + 2 × a × s
(v2 = u2 + 2as)
 ACCELERATION

WORKED EXAMPLES

1. A car initially at rest accelerates at 3 m s –2 for 12 s. What is its final velocity after 8 seconds?
v=?
a = 3 m s –2 v = u + at
t = 8s v = 0 + (3 x 8) = 0 + 24 = 24
–1
u=0ms v = 24 m s –1 in the direction of travel

–1
2. A car moving at 60 m s crashes into a wall and comes to rest in 0.25 s. What acceleration
stops the car?
v−u
a=? a=
t
0−60
u = 60 m s –1 a=
0 .25

v = 0 m s –1 a = - 240 m s -2 or a decleration of 240 m s – 2

t = 0.25 s

3. A car is travelling at 25 m s –1. To overtake a semi-trailer in front of it, the car accelerates at 4 m
s –2 for 5 seconds. How far does the car travel in this time?
s=?
u = 25 m s –1 s = ut + ½ at 2
t=5s s = 25 ¿ 5 + ½ ¿ 4 ¿ 5 ¿ 5
–2
a=4ms s = 175 m in the direction being travelled

QUESTIONS

1. State the formula used to calculate average acceleration. What do all the symbols stand for and
what are the units for each symbol?

the change∈velocity ( ms−1 )

Average Acceleration = occur ( s ) ¿
thetime taken for that change ¿

v−u
a=
t

Where a = acceleration (m s –2),

v = final velocity (m s –1),

u = initial velocity (m s –1) and t = time (s)

2. A car increases its velocity from 3 m s –1 north to 18 m s –1 north in 3 seconds. Find its
acceleration assuming that it is constant during the 3 seconds (Acceleration is a vector quantity
and therefore has both size and direction).
 ACCELERATION

v−u
a=
t

a= 18 – 3/3
a = 5ms-2 N

3. Why is the accelerator pedal in a car called by this name?

Because the pedal allows the car to increase in velocity

4. A sports car has an acceleration of 16.5 m s –2. If it is travelling west at 30 m s –1

and it
accelerates for 5 seconds, what is its new velocity (v)?

(v = u + at)
V = 30ms + 16.5*5
V = 112.5 ms-1 W

5. Explain the difference between acceleration and deceleration.

Acceleration is an increase in velocity per unit time, deceleration is a decrease in velocity per unit
time

6. A motorcycle is moving north with a velocity of 17 m s –1. For 24 seconds it undergoes a uniform
deceleration of 0.3 m s –2. What is its new velocity after this time?

(v = u + at)
V = 17ms - 0.3*24 (deceleration makes number negative)
V = 9.8ms-1 N

7. A vehicle is moving east with a uniform velocity of 20 m s –1. It is then accelerated uniformly at 4
m s –2 for 5 seconds. What is its displacement after 5 seconds?

(s = ut + ½ at2)
S = 20*5 + ½ * 4 * 25
S = 100 + ½ * 100
S = 150 ms-1 E
 ACCELERATION

8. What is the acceleration of a Ford Laser automobile moving at a constant velocity of 20 m s –1?

It is travelling at a constant velocity so there is no acceleration

–2
9. A motor scooter has a constant acceleration of 8 m s . If it takes the scooter 2 seconds to
travel 40 metres, what was its initial velocity?

(s = ut + ½ at2)
40 = 2u +1/2 * 8 * 2 * 2
40 = 2u + 16
2u = 40 – 16
2u = 24
U = 12 ms-1

GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION

All freely falling bodies close to the Earth’s surface are accelerated at the same rate. They fall the
same distance in the same time. The acceleration due to gravity is often referred to a g.

Acceleration due to gravity acts in a vertically downward direction and has a value of approximately
9.80 m s – 2. The previously established equations of motion for uniformly accelerated bodies may
be used for freely falling bodies.

v = u + gt
s = ut + ½ gt2
where: g = acceleration due to gravity = 9.80 m s – 2 (vertically downward).

QUESTIONS

10. Ken drops a stone from the top of a mountain pass. If it takes 12 seconds to reach the valley
below, how high is the pass. (Hint: The initial velocity is zero and the acceleration due to gravity is
constant and has a value of 9.8 m s –2 downwards)

s = ut + ½ gt2
s = 0 + ½ 9.8 * 144
s = 705.6 m
 ACCELERATION

11. Sally throws a tennis ball upwards and observes its motion. What is the ball’s acceleration as it
moves upwards? What is the ball’s acceleration as it travels back down to Sally?

The acceleration on earth is always constant at 9.8ms-2 downwards. This is the same whether the
object is travelling up or down

12. A dragster accelerates at 9 m s –2 from a stationary start for 7 seconds.

(a) What speed does the dragster reach?

V = u + at
=0+9*7
63 ms-1

(b) How far does it travel in 7 seconds?

S= ut + ½ at2 …
220.5m

13. A motorist is travelling at 70 km hr-1 along a road which crosses a railway line. He notices a
train approaching and applies the brakes 55 m from the crossing. The brakes cause the car to
decelerate at 4 m s –2. Will the car stop before the crossing?

V2 = u2 + 2as
0 = 19.42 + 2 * -4 * s
0 = 376.36 – 8s
= 47.05 m

yes

14. The figure below illustrates the motion of a leaf floating in a running stream of water.
 ACCELERATION

(a) Describe this motion over the 12 seconds shown on the graph.

The speed decreases over 6 seconds and increases in the next 2 seconds and then travels at a
constant speed
Initially travels at 12 ms . it speed slows down until it stops for instant at 6 seconds. Its speed
increases over the next 2 seconds, so fthe leaf travels at 6ms-1. It continues at this constant speed
for the erest of the time indicated on the graph

(b) Calculate the acceleration of the leaf in the first 6 seconds.

Deceleration of 2ms-2

(c) Calculate the distance it travelled in this time.

36m

(d) Calculate its acceleration between 6 and 8 seconds of its journey.

3ms-2

15. The diagram below shows a car decelerating. Its position and velocity are shown at one-
second time intervals. Note that the velocity is decreasing.
 ACCELERATION

(a) From the diagram, the initial velocity is 5 m s – 1 at A and B. At D it has slowed down until its
velocity is 1 m s – 1. What happened in the time interval between A and D?

A to be moving at constant velocity. B to c decelerating. C to d decelerating

(b) Use the information from the diagram to calculate the deceleration of the car between B and D.

2ms-2

(c) How far has the car travelled between A and D?

(s = ut + ½ at2)

S = 5 * 2 + ½ -2 * 2 * 2
S = 20 + ½ -32
S = 10 - 4
S=6m
6m + 5m
Total distance 11m
 ACCELERATION

16. A car travelling at 80 km h – 1 was tested to see how quickly it could be brought to rest. The
braking distance (the distance travelled by the car while the brakes were applied) was found to be
35.4 m. Determine:

(a) the car’s acceleration

(v2 = u2 + 2as)
A = v2 -u2/2s

V2 – u2/ 2s
= 0 –(22.22 * 22.22)/ 2 *3.54
= -6.97 ms-2

(b) the time taken for the car to stop.

(v = u + at)
0 = 80 -6.97 * t
-80 = -6.97t
0.88 = 6.97t