Acceleration

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= Definition =

A measure of how fast an object is speeding up or slowing down. If an object changes its velocity, then it accelerates.

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=Important Facts about Acceleration=

There are different types of acceleration.
 * 1) Negative acceleration (deceleration) means an object is slowing down, like pushing on brakes.
 * 2) Positive acceleration means an object is speeding up, like stepping on the gas pedal.
 * 3) Low acceleration (small #) means an object is slowly speeding up, like pressing lightly on the gas.
 * 4) High acceleration (**large** #) means an object is speeding up quickly, like burning rubber.

Other important acceleration facts
 * 1) If you have a velocity vs. time graph, you can find acceleration by taking the slope of the line.
 * 2) If an object changes **direction** and/ or **speed**, it has accelerated.
 * 3) Objects accelerate because a force acts on them.

=Acceleration Video=

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=Helpful Websites=


 * 1) ThinkQuest- Acceleration
 * 2) Physics Hypertextbook- Acceleration