Enter the x-component of acceleration and the y-component of acceleration into the calculator to determine the Vector Acceleration. This calculator will display the direction and magnitude of the acceleration.  

Vector Acceleration Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Vector Acceleration.

A= SQRT( Ax^2 + Ay ^2)

a = tan ( Ay/Ax)

  • Where A is the Vector magnitude Acceleration (m/s^2)
  • a is the angle of the acceleration vector (degrees)
  • Ax is the x-component of acceleration (m/s^2)
  • Ay is the y-component of acceleration (m/s^2)

What are the units for Vector Acceleration?

In the International System of Units, also known as SI units, the units for Vector Acceleration are m/s^2. The units for the angle are either radians or degrees.

How to Calculate Vector Acceleration?

Example Problem:

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

First, determine the x-component of acceleration. In this example, the x-component of acceleration is calculated or measured to be 60 (m/s^2).

Next, determine the y-component of acceleration. For this problem, the y-component of acceleration is determined to be 30 (m/s^2).

Finally, calculate the Vector Acceleration using the formula above: 

A= SQRT( Ax^2 + Ay ^2)

a = tan ( Ay/Ax)

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

A= SQRT( 60^2 + 30 ^2) = 67.082 (m/s^2)

a = tan ( 30/60) = 26.56 deg