What is the unit for acceleration?

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Study for the California Science Test. Get ready for the 8th grade exam with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Prepare with confidence!

Multiple Choice

What is the unit for acceleration?

Explanation:
Acceleration is how quickly velocity changes over time. Because velocity is measured in meters per second, and time is in seconds, the pace of that change has units of meters per second for each second. Put together, that becomes meters per second squared (m/s^2). So if an object’s velocity increases by 3 m/s every second, its acceleration is 3 m/s^2. The other options don’t fit because m/s is velocity, not the changing rate; m/s^3 would describe how quickly acceleration itself changes (jerk); and m^2/s isn’t related to motion in this way.

Acceleration is how quickly velocity changes over time. Because velocity is measured in meters per second, and time is in seconds, the pace of that change has units of meters per second for each second. Put together, that becomes meters per second squared (m/s^2). So if an object’s velocity increases by 3 m/s every second, its acceleration is 3 m/s^2. The other options don’t fit because m/s is velocity, not the changing rate; m/s^3 would describe how quickly acceleration itself changes (jerk); and m^2/s isn’t related to motion in this way.

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