Year 7 Integrated Sciences

Unit 1 Motion and Energy

Lesson 3 Acceleration
Unit 1 Motion and Energy

Chapter 1 Motion (pg. 2-21)

◼Lesson 1 Position, Distance and Displacement
◼Lesson 2 Speed, Velocity and Average speed
◼Lesson 3 Acceleration
◼Lesson 4 Motion Graphs
◼Lesson 5 The Scientific Inquiry (Parts of a Laboratory
Report)
Lesson 3: Acceleration

Learning objectives
◼Define acceleration
◼Solve problems related to acceleration
(no need to write this)
Lesson 3: Acceleration
Lesson 3: Acceleration

Acceleration – the rate at which the velocity

changes over time

An object will have acceleration when :

◼it increases speed
◼it decreases speed
◼it changes its direction
 Acceleration
◼ Acceleration is the rate at which
velocity changes over time

◼ The SI unit of acceleration is meter

per second per second (m/s/s) or
meter per second squared (m/s2 or
ms-2).
a = 20 / 5
a = 4 (km/h) /h
Initial velocity of 20km/h
Final velocity 40 km/h
Change in velocity = final velocity – initial velocity
Change in velocity = v - u = 40 – 20 = 20 km/h
T= 5 H
Acceleration

Initial speed (u) = 30 mph

Final speed (v) = 32 mph
Change in speed (Δv) = 2 mph
Time taken (t) = 1 s
3 m/s 5 m/s 7 m/s 9 m/s

2 m/s²
Acceleration

◼ The plane accelerates at 8 m/s2. This means

that the plane’s speed increases by 8 m/s every
second.
Deceleration

◼ Deceleration
🗉 when the object is slowing down
🗉 the speed is decreasing
🗉 the acceleration will be negative

Example:
The car is decelerating at 5 m/s2 .
a = -5 m/s2
For every 1 second, the car is decreasing its
speed by 5 m/s
Acceleration Problem
1. A falling raindrop accelerates from 10 m/s to
30 m/s in 2 seconds. What is the raindrop’s
average acceleration?
Answer: 10 m/s2

Given:
u = 10 m/s
v = 30 m/s
t=2s
a=?
Acceleration Problem

2. A certain car can accelerate from rest to 27

m/s in 9 seconds. Find the car’s acceleration.
Answer: 3 m/s2
Given:
u = 0 m/s
v = 27 m/s
t=9s
a=?
 Rearrangement of formulas
◼ Acceleration is the rate at which
velocity changes over time

V = u + (a x t)
TB pg. 16
 Acceleration Problem - TB pg. 16
3. Some salamanders have been found to be able to
accelerate their tongues at an acceleration of 4000 m/s2 .
The acceleration only lasts for about 0.001 s. If there
tongue is stationary to begin with, how fast is their tongue
moving after this time?
 Acceleration Problem - TB pg. 16
3. Some salamanders have been found to be able to
accelerate their tongues at an acceleration of 4000 m/s2 .
The acceleration only lasts for about 0.001 s. If there
tongue is stationary to begin with, how fast is their tongue
moving after this time?
 Acceleration Problem - TB pg. 16
1. Some salamanders have been found to be able to
accelerate their tongues at an acceleration of 4000 m/s2 .
The acceleration only lasts for about 0.001 s. If the tongue
is stationary to begin with, how fast is their tongue moving
after this time?

a = (v-u) / t
4000 = (v - 0) / 0.001
4000 = v / 0.001
4000 x 0.001 = v
4 m/s = v
v = 4 m/s
 Acceleration Problem - TB pg. 16
2. The fastest acceleration in the animal kingdom is found
in the mantis shrimp. It has specialized club-like limbs that
it used to strike its prey. It can accelerate these clubs to
speed of 23 m/s in a time of 0.0027s. Calculate the
acceleration of its clubs.
Homework

◼ Answer Worksheet 2 Average speed and

Acceleration