Calculating Acceleration
Acceleration =
Δ velocity
Δ time
=
final velocity – initial velocity =
time
vf – vi
t
1. Calculate the acceleration of a bus whose speed changes from 6 m/s to
12 m/s over a period of 3 s.
2. Suppose you are riding your bicycle in a straight line and increase your
speed from 4 m/s to 6 m/s in 5 s. What is your acceleration?
3. You are traveling at a speed of 6 m/s. Suddenly you see a car pull out
in front of you and you are able to stop your bike in 3 s. What is your
acceleration?
4. A plane travels from 6,000 m/s to 8,000 m/s in 5 seconds. What is
its acceleration?
5. A roller coaster car starts down a slope, its speed is 4 m/s. But 3 seconds later, at
the bottom, its speed is 22 m/s. What is its acceleration?
6. A small private plane starts to move down a runway accelerating 40 m/s/s.
What is its speed after 5 seconds?
7. A penny is dropped off a roof top of a building, what is its speed at
a. 2 seconds
c. 5 seconds
b. 3 seconds
d. 10 seconds
(Hint: all objects fall at a rate of 9.8 m/s/s)
8. A downhill skier reaches the steepest part of a trail. Her speed increases from 9
m/s to 18 m/s in 3 seconds. What is her acceleration?
9. What is 18 cm/h north an example of?
a. speed
c. acceleration
b. velocity
d. momentum
10. Which of these is an acceleration?
a. 5 m east
c. 15 m/s east
b. 52 m/s/s east
d. 32 s/s east