2.

5) Acceleration
Acceleration: The rate at which somethings velocity is changing at a given instant; always length

/ time
2

o Average Acceleration (aavg) = (v2 v1)/(t2 t1) = v/t
o Instantaneous Acceleration/ Acceleration (a) = dv / dt
Combine this with v = (dx / dt) and you get a = (d / dt)(dx / dt) = (d
2
x / dt
2
)
Acceleration is the second derivative of position x(t) with respect to time
o g units of acceleration: 1g= 9.8 m/s
2


2.6) Constant Acceleration: A Special Case (Properties Specially Derived for Constant or Approx. Constant
Acceleration)
Can rewrite (v2 v1)/(t2 t1) = v/t as a = aavg = (v v0)/(t 0) *v0 is the velocity at t = 0*
o v = v0 + at
Likewise, rewrite vavg = x/t = (x2 x1)/(t2 t1) as vavg = (x x0)/(t 0) * x0 is the position at t = 0
o vavg = (v0 + v)/2 -> vavg = v0 + (at)/2 -> (Substitute that into x = x0 x + x0 + (at
2
)/2
o