Metres per Second per Second
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Metres per second per second are the scientific unit of acceleration.
About Metres per Second per Second
- Metres per second per second are shortened to m/s/s with a lower case m, a lower case s and another lower case s.
- A metre per second per second means that every second an object is travelling faster by one metre per second.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Metres per second per second are the scientific unit of acceleration.
About Metres per Second per Second
- Metres per second per second are shortened to m/s/s with a lower case m, a lower case s and another lower case s or ms-2 with a lower case m, a lower case s and an indices of -2.
- A metre per second per second means that every second an object is travelling faster by one metre per second.
Typical Accelerations in m/s/s
You should be able to estimate the acceleration for these events:
| Event | Acceleration in m/s/s |
| A falling object | 9.8 |
| Start running | 3.0 |
| Car accelerating | 4.0 |
| Passenger Jet Takeoff | 5.0 |
| Fighter Jet Takeoff | 60 |