ConverterHub

Acceleration Calculator

Find acceleration as change in velocity per time.

How it is calculated

Average acceleration is the change in velocity divided by the time it took: a = (vf − vi) / t. Enter initial speed vi and final speed vf in metres per second and time t in seconds; the answer is in m/s², rounded to two decimals. Time must be above zero. A negative result means the object is slowing down (deceleration). The tool gives the average over the interval, so it cannot show how acceleration varied inside it.

Worked example

A car goes from standstill (0 m/s) to 27.8 m/s, about 100 km/h, in 6.5 s. The speed change is 27.8 − 0 = 27.8 m/s. Divide by the time: 27.8 / 6.5 = 4.277. The average acceleration is 4.28 m/s², roughly 0.44 times the pull of gravity.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering speeds in km/h or mph while the result is read as m/s². Divide km/h by 3.6 first.
  • Swapping initial and final speed, which flips the sign.
  • Entering minutes or milliseconds as seconds.
  • Treating the answer as constant: it is only the average over the time given.
  • Entering the total distance instead of speeds; distance needs a different formula.

About this calculator

This calculator applies the basic kinematics formula a = Δv/Δt — the change in velocity divided by the time it took — and reports the result in whatever unit pairing you choose, such as m/s² or mph per second.

It's used by physics students solving motion problems, car enthusiasts comparing 0-60 mph times across vehicles, and engineers checking that acceleration or deceleration stays within comfortable g-force limits when designing elevators, roller coasters, or braking systems.

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