Physical Science
Acceleration
worksheet #1
Name____________________
Solve the following acceleration problems. Please round your answers to the correct number of significant
digits and don’t forget the units!! Circle your final answer.
1. A cheetah moves from 600 m/min to 1800 m/min while chasing a fawn. If this
acceleration takes place over a 3.25 second time interval, what is the acceleration
of the cheetah?
vf = 1800 m/min cf
vi = 600 m/min cf
t = 3.25 s
a = vf – vi = 1800 m/min – 600 m/min cf = 1200 m/min cf = 369 m/min/s cf
t
3.25 s
3.25 s
(369.2)
2. A plane, starting from rest, reaches 110 mi/h at the end of the runway. It takes
the plane 7.82 seconds to reach the end of the runway. What is the planes
acceleration?
vf = 110 mi/h dr vi = 0 mi/h dr
t = 7.82 s
a = vf – vi = 110 mi/h – 0 mi/h dr = 110 mi/h dr = 14.1 mi/h/s dr
t
7.82 s
7.82 s
(14.07)
3. A bullet is traveling at 600 m/s when it strikes a target and completely stops.
What acceleration did the bullet experience if it came to a complete stop in .38
seconds?
vf = 0 m/s tt
vi = 600 m/s tt
t = .38 s
a = vf – vi = 0 m/s – 600 m/s tt = -600 m/s tt = - 1579 m/s/s to target
t
.38 s
.38 s
(-1578.95)
4. Seeing a police officer monitoring traffic, Mr. Smith slows his car from 78
mi/h to 58 mi/h in 2.14 seconds. What is the acceleration of the car?
vf = 58 mi/h f
vi = 78 mi/h f
t = 2.14 s
a = vf – vi = 58 mi/h – 78 mi/h f = - 20 mi/h f = - 9.3 mi/h/s f
t
2.14 s
2.14 s
(-9.346)
Physical Science
Acceleration
worksheet #1
Name____________________
5. In a drag race, a car will accelerate from zero to 180 mi/h while traveling one
quarter of a mile. If it takes .258 min for the car to travel this distance, what is the
acceleration of the car?
vf = 180 mi/h dt vi = 0 mi/h
t = .258 min
a = vf – vi = 180 mi/h – 0 mi/h dt = 180 mi/h dt = 698 mi/h/min dt
t
.258 min
.258 min
(697.67)
6. While hooking up to the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle must
use its retrorockets to decelerate the Shuttle. If the Shuttle is moving at .392
km/min and fires its retrorockets for 9.36 sec, what is the acceleration of the
Shuttle when it reaches a speed of .186 km/min?
vf = .186 km/min tss
vi = .392 km/min tss
t = 9.36 s
a = vf – vi = .186 km/min – .392 km/min tss = -.206 km/min tss
t
9.36 s
9.36 s
= -.0220 km/min/s tss
7. A snail is traveling at 24.5 cm/h. The snail accelerates itself to 28.2cm/h
during a 23.4 min time interval. What is the acceleration of the snail?
vf = 28.2 cm/h f vi = 24.5 cm/h f
t = 23.4 min
a = vf – vi = 28.2 cm/h – 24.5 cm/h f = 3.70 cm/h f = .158 cm/h/min f
t
23.4 min
23.4 min
8. An electron changes its speed from 290 000 m/s to 220 000 m/s. If this takes
place during a .325 second time period, what is the acceleration of the electron?
vf = 220 000 m/s f
vi = 290 000 m/s f
t = .325 s
a = vf – vi = 220 000 m/s – 290 000 m/s f = -70 000 m/s f = -215 385 m/s/s f
t
.325 s
.325 s
(-215384.6)