What does acceleration measure?

Acceleration measures the rate of change in velocity with respect to time, which means it quantifies how quickly an object's speed or direction changes. This concept is fundamental in physics and is integral to understanding motion. For example, when an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction, acceleration describes how fast that change occurs.

It's important to clarify that acceleration can be positive (increasing velocity), negative (deceleration), or even zero (constant velocity). The unit of acceleration is typically meters per second squared (m/s²), which reflects how much the velocity (in m/s) changes each second.

In contrast, measuring total distance traveled involves considering the entire path covered by an object, which is distinctly different from how fast its speed is changing over time. Initial velocity refers specifically to the starting speed of an object without focusing on how this speed changes. Maximum speed reached pertains to the peak of an object's velocity but does not account for the continuous change that occurs over time, which is what acceleration addresses.