Calculate lateral acceleration from force and mass or from speed and turn radius, and find g-force or lateral force in m/s², ft/s², or g.

Lateral Acceleration Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Lateral Acceleration.

LA = LF / m
  • Where LA is the Lateral Acceleration (m/s^2)
  • LF is the lateral force (N)
  • m is the object’s mass (kg)

Select the value to solve for and enter the listed inputs. The net-force model uses LA = LF / m. For a circular turn, use LA = speed² / radius; enter an optional mass to also calculate lateral force.

What are the units for Lateral Acceleration?

The most common units for Lateral Acceleration are m/s^2.

How to Calculate Lateral Acceleration?

Example Problem:

The following example problem outlines the steps and information required to calculate the Lateral Acceleration.

First, determine the lateral force. In this example, the lateral force is measured to be 65 (N).

Next, determine the object’s mass. For this problem, the object’s mass is calculated to be 5 (kg).

Finally, calculate the Lateral Acceleration using the formula above: 

LA = LF / m

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation gives us: 

LA = 65 / 5 = 13 (m/s^2)