Question

Acceleration is defined as

a. the rate at which distance is covered
b. the rate at which an object freely falls from rest
c. the rate at which velocity itself changes
d. the distance an object has fallen

Answer 1

Acceleration is defined as the rate at which an object's velocity changes over time, measured in m/s², affecting both the magnitude and direction of motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes. It represents how fast the speed and/or direction of an object changes over time. When we measure how much the velocity changes (usually in meters per second, or m/s) during a given time interval, we calculate the average acceleration. This can be expressed in units such as meters per second squared (m/s²), and it applies to both increases and decreases in speed, with the latter often referred to as deceleration.

One specific type of acceleration is the acceleration due to gravity, which on Earth is approximately 9.8 m/s². This is the acceleration of an object caused solely by the force of gravity acting on it.

To summarize, acceleration concerns how quickly an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction, not just the distance it covers or falls.