Average acceleration

Trevor Scheopner
March 31, 2018

The definition of acceleration is that it is the derivative of velocity with respect to time:

~ = d~v (t) .
a(t) (1)
dt
When you compute an average of a list of numbers, you sum all the numbers and divide by how
many numbers there are in the list, by definition. However, in this case we have a continuous list of
numbers (there is an acceleration for every t). So, we need to do a continuous sum. Calculus tells
you how to do a continuous sum: a continuous sum is an integral. Therefore, average acceleration
over a time interval is the integral of acceleration over that time interval, divided by the length of
that time interval:
R tf
~a(t)dt
~aavg = t0R tf . (2)
t0
dt

By inserting the definition of acceleration into the definition of the average acceleration and using
the fundamental theorem of calculus, we can find an easier formula:
R tf R tf d~v
t0
~a(t)dt dt dt ~v (tf ) − ~v (t0 )
~aavg = R tf = t0 = . (3)
dt tf − t0 tf − t0
t0

By rearranging this formula we get the equation you mentioned in your email:

~v (tf ) = ~v (t0 ) + ~aavg (tf − t0 ) (4)

~vf = ~v0 + ~aavg ∆t. (5)

So yes, you can always use this equation to find the average acceleration and this equation is exactly
equal to the definition of the words ”average acceleration”. When the acceleration is constant, of
the course the average is equal to that constant and so it reduces to the known kinematic formula.
I hope that helps!