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Acceleration Calculator
Find acceleration from a change in velocity over time, or rearrange the same equation to solve for final velocity, initial velocity or time. A separate mode uses Newton’s second law to get acceleration from force and mass. Units are selectable, and the result is also given in g and ft/s² with the distance covered.
- Acceleration
- 4 m/s²
- In g (9.80665 m/s²)
- 0.4079 g
- In feet per second squared
- 13.1234 ft/s²
- Final velocity
- 20 m/s
- Initial velocity
- 0 m/s
- Time
- 5 s
- Distance covered
- 50 m
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Formula
How to use it
- Choose the unknown.
- Enter the other values, choosing units for velocities, time and mass.
- Use a negative acceleration for an object that is slowing down.
- Read the answer in m/s² (or m/s or s), with g and ft/s² underneath.
Worked examples
From rest to 20 m/s in 5 s: a = (20 − 0) ÷ 5
- Answer
- 4 m/s² (0.4079 g)
- Acceleration
- 4 m/s²
- In g (9.80665 m/s²)
- 0.4079 g
- In feet per second squared
- 13.1234 ft/s²
- Distance covered
- 50 m
A car doing 0–60 mph in 8 s: 26.8224 m/s ÷ 8 s
- Answer
- 3.353 m/s² (0.3419 g)
- Acceleration
- 3.3528 m/s²
- Distance covered
- 107.29 m
Final velocity from 10 m/s, accelerating at 2 m/s² for 3 s: v = 10 + 2 × 3
- Answer
- 16 m/s (35.79 mph)
- Final velocity
- 16 m/s
- Distance covered
- 39 m
Initial velocity if you reach 25 m/s after 5 s at 3 m/s²: v₀ = 25 − 3 × 5
- Answer
- 10 m/s (22.37 mph)
- Initial velocity
- 10 m/s
Time to stop from 30 m/s braking at −6 m/s²: t = (0 − 30) ÷ −6
- Answer
- 5 s
- Time
- 5 s
- Distance covered
- 75 m
Newton’s second law: 3,000 N pushing 1,200 kg, a = 3,000 ÷ 1,200
- Answer
- 2.5 m/s² (0.2549 g)
- Acceleration
- 2.5 m/s²
Reference values
Standard gravity, 1 g, is 9.80665 m/s² (about 32.17 ft/s²); 9.81 or 9.8 is used in most homework. A car going 0–60 mph in 8 seconds averages 3.35 m/s², about a third of a g.
Deceleration is just negative acceleration: braking from 30 m/s to a stop in 5 s is (0 − 30) ÷ 5 = −6 m/s².
Units and signs
Acceleration is velocity per unit of time, so its SI unit is meters per second per second (m/s²). Convert km/h or mph to m/s before dividing, or the answer will be in a mixed unit such as mph per second. Keep one direction positive throughout a problem; a sign flip mid-way is the usual source of a wrong answer.
Questions people ask
How do you calculate acceleration?
Subtract the initial velocity from the final velocity and divide by the time. From rest to 20 m/s in 5 s: (20 − 0) ÷ 5 = 4 m/s².
How do you find acceleration from force and mass?
Divide the net force by the mass: a = F ÷ m. 3,000 N on a 1,200 kg car gives 2.5 m/s².
What is the acceleration of a car that goes 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds?
60 mph is 26.82 m/s, so a = 26.82 ÷ 8 = 3.35 m/s², or 0.34 g. It covers about 107 m doing it.