Acceleration is the rate at which an object's velocity changes over time. Unlike speed, which measures how fast an object is going, acceleration specifically measures how quickly an object's speed is changing. It is important to understand that acceleration can occur in different directions, not just in a straight line.

To calculate acceleration, we use the formula: acceleration = change in velocity / time. The change in velocity can be determined by subtracting the initial velocity from the final velocity. For example, if an object starts with an initial velocity of 10 m/s and then increases to a final velocity of 30 m/s over a time of 5 seconds, the change in velocity would be 30 m/s - 10 m/s = 20 m/s.

Once we have calculated the change in velocity and know the time over which this change occurred, we can plug these values into the acceleration formula to find the acceleration.

To better understand an object's motion, we can also use motion graphs such as the distance-time graph and the velocity-time graph. These graphs provide visual representations of an object's motion and can help us analyze its behavior.

A distance-time graph shows how an object's distance changes with time. The slope of the graph represents the object's speed. For example, a steeper slope indicates a higher speed, while a flatter slope suggests a slower speed or even a stationary object.

On the other hand, a velocity-time graph represents an object's velocity changes with time. The slope of this graph corresponds to the object's acceleration. A positive slope indicates positive acceleration (speeding up), a negative slope represents negative acceleration or deceleration (slowing down), and zero slope indicates a constant velocity or zero acceleration.

By analyzing these motion graphs, we can gain insights into an object's motion, including its speed, direction, and changes in velocity or acceleration.