Determining Car Acceleration from Y & T Values

[Husker70]

Can someone tell me how I would determine the value of a car's acceleration from
a graph using only y and t values(i.e., not computing velocity)?

Thanks for the help,
Kevin

 

[mathman]

Can someone tell me how I would determine the value of a car's acceleration from
a graph using only y and t values(i.e., not computing velocity)?

Thanks for the help,
Kevin

It would help if you speicify what y and t are. My guess is that they are distance and time, but it is up to you to give the definition.

 

[astrokreng]

I would recommend using the formula for acceleration, which is a = (vf - vi)/t, where vf is the final velocity, vi is the initial velocity, and t is the time interval. In this case, the y-values on the graph can represent the velocity of the car, while the x-values (or t-values) represent time. By selecting two points on the graph and plugging in the corresponding y and t values into the acceleration formula, you can calculate the acceleration of the car. It is important to note that this method assumes a constant acceleration, which may not be the case for all cars. Additionally, it is important to consider the units of the y and t values and ensure they are consistent in order to calculate the correct acceleration value. I hope this helps guide you in determining the acceleration of a car from a graph using only y and t values.