Introduction to the Velocity and Acceleration Equation
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This equation relates final velocity, original velocity, constant acceleration, and time:
It reads:
The final velocity equals the original velocity plus the acceleration multiplied by the time.
Here is a sample problem and its solution demonstrating the use of this equation:
An object is moving with a velocity of 4.0 m/s when it begins to accelerate. It accelerates at 3.0 m/s/s, (3.0 m/s2), for a time period of 5.0 s. What is the object's final velocity after the acceleration?
| vf = vo + at | Begin here. |
| vf = 4.0 m/s + (3.0 m/s/s)(5.0 s) | Plug in values with units. |
| vf = 4 + 15 | Do some intermediate mathematics. |
| vf = 19 m/s | Come up with a final result. |
So, this object is moving with a velocity of 19 m/s after the acceleration.
More:
You can use the definition of acceleration to understand the origin of this equation .
Using algebra this equation can be rearranged and solved for any of the variables present in it.
There are equivalent alternate symbols for the quantities in this equation.
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