Positive acceleration occurs when the acceleration causes the velocity of an object to increase in terms of magnitude i.e. the speed of the object increases.
Some positive acceleration examples are given below:
- Launching a rocket
- Accelerating a vehicle
- A free falling object
- Pedaling a bicycle
- Rowing a boat
- Airplane take off
Let us take a look at these positive acceleration examples in detail.
1. Launching a rocket:
When a rocket is launched a huge amount of fuel is required for generating the energy to accelerate the rocket to a very high speed. Since this process involves the increase in the magnitude of the velocity of the rocket this is a form of positive acceleration. Without positive acceleration, it would have been impossible to launch a rocket for a missile. This type of positive acceleration is variable i.e. it changes with time.
2. Accelerating a vehicle:
Vehicles such as cars, trucks, bikes, and trains have built-in accelerators for increasing the magnitude of the velocity of the vehicle. This is the most common example of positive acceleration. There is an accelerator present in every vehicle that is used for increasing its speed. The accelerator of a car must be used carefully to avoid any accidents. This type of positive acceleration is variable i.e. it changes with time.
3. A free-falling object:
A free-falling object refers to the object that experiences an acceleration arising due to gravity. This is a form of positive constant acceleration i.e. it does not change with time. The magnitude of velocity I.e. speed of the falling body increases at a constant rate as it travels downwards towards the ground. The body attains its maximum speed when it hits the ground.
4. Pedaling a bicycle:
When we pedal a bicycle we increase its speed. The magnitude of increase in speed depends on how fast we pedal the bike. In this mechanical energy gets transformed into kinetic energy. This is also a form of positive acceleration as the speed is increased with pedaling. In this case, the acceleration is variable i.e. changes with time.
5. Rowing a boat:
Rowing a boat just like paddling a bicycle increases its speed. The amount of increase in the speed of the boat depends on how swiftly we row the boat. In this case, mechanical energy gets transformed into kinetic energy again. This is a form of positive acceleration as the speed of the boat increases with rowing. Here, the acceleration is variable i.e. it changes with time.
6. Airplane takeoff:
Before taking off for flight the airplane takes a long run on the runway. During the course of the run, the airplane increases its speed for take-off. Once the speed reaches a certain level the flight takes off. This is a form of positive acceleration that is variable i.e. it changes with time. Without accelerating the airplane first, it would be impossible to take off.
These are some positive acceleration example that we encounter in our daily lives. To understand more about positive acceleration consider reading the following paragraphs.
FAQs
What is positive acceleration?
We encounter the application of positive acceleration in our daily lives in several ways.
Positive acceleration refers to the kind of acceleration that occurs when the magnitude of the velocity i.e. speed of an object increases with time. For positive acceleration to occur the external force experienced by the objects should be in the direction of propagation of the object.
How can we calculate positive acceleration?
There are several formulas that can calculate the acceleration of an object.
To calculate positive acceleration, we require to know the external force acting on the object (F) and mass of the object (a) or the change in velocity of the object in unit time.
Mathematically, average acceleration can be given as
F = ma
v² – u² = 2aS
v = u + at
S = ut + ½at²
Instantaneous acceleration is given by
a= dv/dt
a= d²s/dt²
In the case of positive acceleration, the value of a must be a positive number. Here, v is the final velocity of the object u is the initial velocity of the object and S is the displacement of the object.
What is negative acceleration?
We encounter the application of negative acceleration in our daily lives in several ways.
Negative acceleration refers to the kind of acceleration that occurs when the magnitude of velocity i.e. speed of an object decreases with time. For negative acceleration to occur the external force acting on the object should be in the direction opposite to the direction of propagation of the object.
We hope this post could provide you with the necessary information regarding positive acceleration examples. To know more about acceleration click here.
Also Read:
- How to find acceleration due to gravity with distance and time
- Gravitational acceleration example
- How to find linear acceleration
- How to find normal force with mass and acceleration
- Positive acceleration vs negative acceleration
- Direction of centripetal acceleration
- Change in acceleration examples
- How acceleration differs from speed
- How to find acceleration kinematics
- Negative acceleration example
Hi, I am Sanchari Chakraborty. I have done Master’s in Electronics.
I always like to explore new inventions in the field of Electronics.
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