Question

Define variable acceleration.

Answer 1

Hint: In physics, the rate of change of distance with respect to time is known as velocity of the body and the rate of change of velocity with respect to time is known as acceleration of the body, we will learn the definition of variable acceleration in detail.

Complete answer:
When a body moves with constant velocity such that it does not change with time then the value of acceleration is zero as acceleration is written mathematically as $\vec a = \dfrac{{d\vec v}}{{dt}}$ where $a,v$ are the acceleration and velocity vectors. Average acceleration is the average of acceleration of the body calculated on different points along the journey of the body.

Now, the definition of variable acceleration says that if the calculated average acceleration of the body is different on the different points along the journey of the moving body, either in the magnitude or in the direction then, it said that the moving body has a variable acceleration.

Which simply means it changes along the different points on the journey of moving the body.Hence, variable acceleration is just a term which indicates that average acceleration of the body changes along the path followed by the moving body.

Note: It should be remembered that, not only the magnitude even if the direction of acceleration changes along the path followed by the body it will be termed as variable acceleration. The SI unit in which acceleration is measured is written as $m{s^{ - 2}}$ and the SI unit of velocity is $m{s^{ - 1}}.$ Acceleration and velocity both are vector quantities.