U N D E R STA N D I N G
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
At the end of the lesson, students
LEARNING should be able to:
TARGETS
TARGETS Know what
1
1 acceleration means.
Use a simple formula for
2
2 acceleration and how to
calculate it.
3
3
Give real-life examples
of acceleration.
WHAT is
FORCE?
FORCE?
FORCE Is a push or a pull acting on an object.
WHAT is
FORCE?
FORCE?
Force is measured in Newtons (N)
WHAT is
FORCE?
FORCE?
We often use arrows to show force because it has
magnitude and direction (so it’s a vector).
WHAT is
FORCE?
FORCE?
More Force → More Acceleration
WHAT is
FORCE?
FORCE?
More Mass → same
Less Acceleration (for the
force)
WHAT is
FORCE?
FORCE?
Without force, acceleration does not
happen (an object will just keep moving
at constant speed).
WHAT is
MOTION?
MOTION?
Motion is the change in position of
an object over time.
Uniform Motion – constant
speed (no acceleration)
Accelerated Motion – speed or
direction changes
Circular Motion – motion in a
circle
Periodic Motion – motion that
repeats (like a swing)
WHAT is
SPEED?
SPEED?
is how fast an object moves. It tells us the
distance traveled in a given time.
FORMULAfor
SPEED
SPEED
Speed = Distance ÷ Time
If you travel 100 m in 10 s, your speed is 10 m/s.
WHAT is
VELOCITY?
VELOCITY?
- is speed with direction. It tells how fast and
where an object is moving.
FORMULAfor
VELOCITY?
VELOCITY?
Velocity = Displacement ÷ Time
Direction must always be included
(e.g., 5 m/s east).
SPEED
vs.
VELOCITY
VELOCITY
Speed is
scalar,
SPEED velocity is VELOCITY
has vector. has
magnitude magnitude
and
only direction
A car moving at 60 A car moving at 60
→
km/h speed →
km/h north velocity
60 km/h 60 km/h north
SPEED & VELOCITY
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
WHY ARE speed and velocity
IMPORTANT?
IMPORTANT?
They help us understand
motion in:
Transportation
Sports
Science and engineering
LET’S
SUMMARIZE!
SUMMARIZE!
Both describe motion
Velocity = how fast and
Speed = how fast in what direction
U N D E R STA N D I N G
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
WHAT is
ACCELERATION?
ACCELERATION?
Have you ever felt pushed back
when a car speeds up? Or
thrown forward when it stops
suddenly? That’s acceleration.
WHAT is
ACCELERATION?
ACCELERATION?
It tells us how quickly something
speeds up or slows down — from
runners to rockets, it’s all
around us in real life.
Retrieval Quiz True or False
1 Speed tells us how fast something moves.
2 A bus that stops is still moving fast
3 We measure time in seconds.
4 Speed = time divided by distance.
5 Distance is measured in joules.
Retrieval Quiz Answers
T Speed tells us how fast something moves.
F A bus that stops is still moving fast
T We measure time in seconds.
F Speed = time divided by distance.
F Distance is measured in joules.
WHAT is
ACCELERATION?
ACCELERATION?
Acceleration is how fast
something gets faster or slower.
Acceleration is the rate at which
velocity changes over time.
WHAT is
ACCELERATION?
ACCELERATION?
Speeds up
Slows down
Changes direction
TYPES OF
ACCELERATION?
ACCELERATION?
Positive acceleration – speeding up
Negative acceleration
(deceleration) – slowing down
Centripetal acceleration – change in
direction (circular motion)
Units of Measurement
Different countries use different units to measure speed,
velocity and acceleration but here are some of the most
common units of measurement.
Speed Velocity Acceleration
Meters per second Meters per second Meters per second
(m/s) (m/s) squared (m/s²)
Kilometers per hour Kilometers per hour
(km/h) (km/h)
Miles per hour Miles per hour
(mph) (mph)
Includes both the speed
and direction of an
object's movement.
FORMULAfor
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
a = final velocity - initial velocity
time taken
POSITIVE
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
Acceleration that increases the speed of an
object.
The object speeds up in the direction of
motion.
Velocity and acceleration are in the same
direction
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
Problem 1 – Positive Acceleration
A car starts from rest and
reaches a speed of 20 m/s in 4
seconds. Find the acceleration.
NEGATIVE
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
Acceleration that decreases the speed of
an object.
The object slows down.
Velocity and acceleration are in
opposite directions.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
Problem 2 – Negative Acceleration
(Deceleration)
A motorcycle slows from 30 m/s
to 10 m/s in 5 seconds. Find the
acceleration.
ZERO
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
No change in velocity.
Constant speed in a straight
line.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
Problem 3 – Zero Acceleration
A bus moves at a constant
speed of 20 m/s for 10
seconds. Find the
acceleration.
VELOCITY and
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
►As velocity increases, so does
acceleration
►As velocity decreases, so does
acceleration
VELOCITY and
ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
►When direction changes, so does
acceleration
►When there is a constant velocity,
there is no acceleration
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
A car changes velocity from 5
m/s to 25 m/s in 4 seconds.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
A motorcycle increases its
velocity from 8 m/s to 20 m/s
in 6 seconds. Find the
acceleration.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
A bicycle increases its
velocity from 5 m/s to 20 m/s
with an acceleration of 3
m/s². How long did it take to
reach this speed?
Reflection Question
How do speed, velocity, and
acceleration affect our daily lives?