Enter the x-component of acceleration, and the y-component of acceleration, into the calculator to determine the Magnitude of Acceleration. 

Magnitude of Acceleration Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Magnitude of Acceleration.

A = SQRT ( Ax^2  + Ay^2)
  • Where A is the Magnitude of Acceleration (m/s^2)
  • Ax is the x-component of acceleration (m/s^2)
  • Ay is the y-component of acceleration (m/s^2)

To calculate the magnitude of an acceleration vector, sum the squares of the x and y components of the acceleration, then take the square root.

What are the units for Magnitude of Acceleration?

In the International System of Units, also known as SI units, the units for Magnitude of Acceleration are m/s^2.

How to Calculate Magnitude of Acceleration?

Example Problem:

The following example problem outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Magnitude of Acceleration.

First, determine the x-component of acceleration. In this example, the x-component of acceleration is calculated or measured to be 25  (m/s^2).

Next, determine the y-component of acceleration. For this problem, the y-component of acceleration is determined to be 50 (m/s^2).

Finally, calculate the Magnitude of Acceleration using the formula above: 

A = SQRT ( Ax^2  + Ay^2)

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation with the imputed values gives: 

A = SQRT ( 25^2  + 50^2) = 55.901 (m/s^2)