Acceleration Calculator
Calculate acceleration from velocity change and time (a = Δv/t)
Calculator
a = (v₂ - v₁) / t = (20 - 0) / 5 = 4.0000 m/s²
Acceleration Formulas
- a = (v₂ - v₁) / t
- v₂ = v₁ + at
- v₁ = v₂ - at
- t = (v₂ - v₁) / a
- Gravity on Earth: g = 9.81 m/s²
How to Use
Calculate acceleration, velocity, or time using kinematics
Choose variable
Select what to calculate: acceleration, initial velocity, final velocity, or time
Enter values
Input the known values (three of the four variables)
Calculate
View the result with the formula used
Acceleration Formula
a = (v2 - v1) / t
Acceleration equals change in velocity divided by time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time, measured in m/s squared. The formula is a = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time. Positive acceleration means speeding up; negative (deceleration) means slowing down.
Velocity is how fast something moves (m/s), while acceleration is how quickly velocity changes (m/s squared). An object can have high velocity with zero acceleration (constant speed), or zero velocity with high acceleration (starting from rest).
On Earth, objects fall with acceleration of approximately 9.81 m/s squared (32.2 ft/s squared) due to gravity. This is denoted as g. On the Moon it is about 1.62 m/s squared, and on Mars about 3.71 m/s squared. This acceleration is constant regardless of mass.
Use final velocity = initial velocity + (acceleration x time). Multiply acceleration by time and add to initial velocity. For example, accelerating at 5 m/s squared for 4 seconds from rest: v = 0 + (5 x 4) = 20 m/s final velocity.