Acceleration is defined as which of the following?

• A. The rate of change of position.
• B. The rate of change of velocity.
• C. The average speed.
• D. The distance over time.

Answer: (B)

Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes over time. It tells us how quickly something speeds up, slows down, or changes direction. Mathematically, it’s the change in velocity divided by the time over which that change occurs (a = Δv/Δt).

That’s why the best choice is the rate of change of velocity. For example, if a car’s velocity increases from 0 to 20 m/s in 4 seconds, its acceleration is 5 m/s^2. The rate of change of position describes velocity, not acceleration, and average speed or distance over time describe how far something travels per unit time, regardless of how velocity changes.