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Constant a. From v0, a and t you get distance and final speed — classic school SUVAT.
Part 2 of Physics without mysteries. Previous: uniform motion. Next: braking.
When speed rises evenly, we call it uniformly accelerated motion. The distance formula s = v0t + ½at2 and vk = v0 + at cover most “accelerate from a stop” homework.
Bare a from Δv and time lives in the acceleration calculator — here a is an input. If you know mass and force, a = F/m from Newton II; paste that a here and read the distance.
Negative a in this model is already braking. It is clearer to switch to decelerated motion, where you enter a positive deceleration and see the stopping distance immediately.
| You know | You want | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| v₀, a, t | s | s = v₀t + ½at² |
| v₀, a, t | vₖ | vₖ = v₀ + at |
| Δv, t | a | a = Δv/t (separate calculator) |
| F, m | a | a = F/m → then distance |
A car starts at v0 = 0 with acceleration a = 3.5 m/s² for t = 8 s. What distance does it cover and what is vk?
Steps
Answer: s = 112 m, vₖ = 28 m/s
