Question

Physicists measure velocity (speed) in units of distance per unit time. Acceleration is measured as the change in velocity per unit time, or velocity divided by time. Suppose you have measured velocity in meters per second. What units would acceleration have, using seconds as your time units? Explain how you got your answer.

1) meters per second
2) meters per second squared
3) meters squared per second
4) meters per second cubed

Answer 1

Acceleration is measured in meters per second squared (m/s²), representing the change in velocity (in m/s) for every second.

Step-by-step explanation:

When measuring acceleration using meters per second for velocity and seconds for time, we calculate the rate at which velocity changes. Dividing velocity by time equates to meters per second divided by seconds, resulting in the units meters per second squared (m/s²). This signifies how much the velocity changes per second, in meters per second. It is an essential concept in physics that indicates both a change in speed and direction of an object.