ACCELERATION

Introduction

In physics acceleration and velocity are the terms that are most students got confused the fact that Velocity is
the rate of change of displacement while acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time, simple the
slowing down and speeding up of the object in motion.

Since velocity is a vector quantity that has magnitude and direction.

v−v 0 ∆ v
á= =
t ∆t
á=average acceleration
v=finalvelocit
v 0=initial velocity

t=time
EXAMPLE:
A woman is traveling by her sports car at a constant velocity 5.00 m/s. When she steps on the gas, it makes the car to
accelerate forward. Further, past 10.0 seconds, she stops the acceleration and continues a constant velocity 25.0 m/s.
Calculate the acceleration of the car.

Given: Solution:

m v f −v 0
v 0=5 á=
s t
v m Substitute the Given:
f =25
s

m m
25 −5
t=10 s á= s s m
=2 2
10 s s
Acceleration can be:
Angular acceleration = 𝜶 = rate of change in angular velocity.

Linear acceleration = A = rate of change in linear velocity.

Linear acceleration and angular acceleration are directly proportional. The greater the angular acceleration is,
the larger the linear (tangential) acceleration is, and vice versa.

∆=δ both are signifies therate of change

v = velocity of the body at point

P v + 𝜹v = velocity of the body at point

Q r = radius of the circle

𝜹t = time taken by the body in moving from P to Q.

𝜹θ = angle covered by the body in moving from P to Q.

 The change of velocity, as the body moves from P to Q can be determined by drawing the vector triangle opq, in
which op and oq represent the velocities at P and Q, respectively.

 pq – represent the change of velocity in time 𝛿t.

 pq can be resolved into two components, namely:
o px (parallel to op)→px = ox – op = oq cos 𝛿θ – v = (v + 𝛿v) cos 𝛿θ – v.
o Xq (perpendicular to op)→xq = oq sin 𝛿θ = (v + 𝛿v) sin 𝛿θ.

The change of velocity (pq) has two components (px and xq) which are mutually perpendicular, hence, the rate of
change of velocity, that is, acceletation will also have two mutually perpendicular components.

Example:

A powerful motorcycle can accelerate from 0 to 30.0 m/s (about 108 km/h) in 4.20 s. What is the angular
acceleration of its 0.320-m-radius wheels?

The linear acceleration of a motorcycle is accompanied by an angular

acceleration of its wheels.

Solution:

We are given information about the linear velocities of the motorcycle. Thus, we can find its linear acceleration at.
Then, the expression

at
α=
r
Can be used to find the angular acceleration.

For Linear Acceleration

m
∆ v 30
a t=
∆t
= s =7.14 m
4.20 s s2
We also know the radius of the wheels. Entering the values for at and r into at.

Given the radius=0.320m

m
7.14
a s2 rad
α= t = =22 .3 2
r 0.320 m s

Tangential Acceleration is a measure of how the tangential velocity of a point at a certain radius change with time.
Tangential acceleration is just like linear acceleration, but it's specific to the tangential direction, which is relevant to
circular motion.

P will be:
 px ( v +δv ) cosδθ−v
At = = δt → 0 cosδθ→ 1
δt δt
A ( v+δv ) −v δv dv d (rdw) rdw
t =¿ = = = = =r × α ¿
δt δt dt dt dt

Normal or Centripetal Acceleration is the acceleration of a body navigating a circular path.

At P will be:

xq ( v +δv ) sinδθ−v
At = = δt → 0 sinδθ → δθ
δt δt
A ( v+δv ) −δθ vδθ δvδθ δθ dθ v2
t =¿ = = =v =v =( ω ×r ) ω= ¿
δt δt δt δt dt r