Acceleration Calculations
Directions: Solve the following problems. Show all work. Include the formula, the numbers you plug in
and your final answer with the correct units.
1.
A driver starts his parked car and within 5 seconds reaches a speed of 60 km/h, as he travels
east. What is his acceleration?
2.
A slug traveling at 3 mm/h, north decided to race the slug next to him increasing his velocity to
5 mm/h, north in one hour. What was the slug’s acceleration?
3.
In a summer storm, the wind is blowing with a velocity of 8 m/s north. Suddenly in 3 seconds,
the wind’s velocity is 23 m/s north. What is the wind’s acceleration?
4. A kangaroo hops 60 m to the east in 5 seconds. Then accelerates to 75 m to the east in 5
seconds. The acceleration took place over ten seconds. What is the kangaroo’s initial velocity?
What is the kangaroo’s final velocity? What was the acceleration of the kangaroo?
5. The kangaroo stops at a lake to take a drink of water, and then starts hopping again to the
south. Every second, the kangaroo’s velocity increases 2.5 m/s. What is the kangaroo’s velocity
after 5 seconds?
6.
A plane passes over Dulles with a velocity of 8000 m/s north. Forty seconds later it passes over
Tyson’s Corner at a velocity of 10,000 m/s north. What is the plane’s acceleration from Dulles to
Tyson’s Corner?
7.
A soccer ball rolling towards a goal at 1 m/s was kicked and reached the net with a velocity of
2.5 m/s, 3 seconds later. What was the soccer ball’s acceleration?
8. How fast did Andrew accelerate to 55 m/h if his initial velocity was 0 m/h east and it took him 9
seconds to reach his final velocity?
9. Calculate the acceleration of an object that starts at rest and accelerates smoothly to 20 m/s in
5 seconds.
10. A plane goes from 400 km/h south to 750 km/h south in 5 minutes, what is the plane’s
acceleration?
11. A car decelerates from 60 km/h to 0 km/h in 5 seconds while coming to a stop at a red light.
What is the acceleration of the car?
12. A patriot missile is moving at 240 km/h east and travels to its maximum speed of 450 km/h east
in 3 minutes. What is the acceleration?
13. A car goes from rest to 50 m/s in 5 seconds. What is the acceleration?
14. A boat goes from 84 km/h to 42 km/h in 7 seconds. What is the deceleration?
15. What is the acceleration of a car that goes from 65 km/h to 125 km/h in 5 seconds?
16.