How to Calculate Final Velocity

Calculate final velocity using the equation for acceleration.

Final velocity refers to the speed and direction an object moved when last measured. You can find the final velocity by working backwards from the formula for acceleration: final velocity minus the initial velocity divided by the time. You will need to know the other variables in the equation to calculate the final velocity.

Things You'll Need

• Accelerating object
• Initial velocity
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Multiply the given acceleration by the time. For instance, if an object had an acceleration of 5 meters per second squared and a time of 10 seconds it will look like this: 5m/s2 x 10s = 50m/s.

2. Add the initial velocity to this number to calculate the final velocity. For the example, say the object initially moved at 3 meters per second. The equation will look like this: 50m/s + 3m/s = 53m/s.

3. Check your answer by subtracting the initial velocity from the final velocity and dividing the result by the time. The equation will look like this: 53m/s -- 3m/s = (50m/s)/(10s) = 5m/s2.

References

• Universtiy of Houston: Momentum