Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) GCSE Physics Paper 2 Practice Exam

The formula for calculating acceleration is indeed represented as the change in velocity divided by time. Acceleration describes how quickly an object's velocity changes over a given period. It is important to note that acceleration can be positive, indicating an increase in velocity, or negative (deceleration), indicating a decrease in velocity.

In mathematical terms, if an object’s velocity changes from an initial velocity (u) to a final velocity (v) over a time span (t), the formula for acceleration (a) can be expressed as:

\[ a = \frac{v - u}{t} \]

This shows that by measuring the change in velocity (the difference between final and initial velocity) and dividing that by the time taken for the change, one can accurately determine the acceleration.

The other options do not represent acceleration directly. For instance, force divided by mass yields acceleration according to Newton's second law, but it is not the fundamental definition of acceleration itself, which focuses on changes in velocity over time. Similarly, distance divided by time provides the average speed, and mass multiplied by acceleration leads to force, illustrating the relationships among these concepts in physics rather than the calculation of acceleration itself.