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by **ajfoucault** on Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:28 pm

What follows is a close approximation of a physics formula:

x = V * t + 1/2 * a * t^2

I have the values of all of the other variables, I just need to find "a"
How would I do it?

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by **stapel_eliz** on Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:52 pm

ajfoucault wrote:What follows is a close approximation of a physics formula:

x = V * t + 1/2 * a * t^2

I have the values of all of the other variables, I just need to find "a"

Is the equation as follows?

. . . . . $x\, =\, Vt\, +\, \frac{1}{2}at^2$

If so, are you asking how to solve the above for "a="?

If you have numerical values for x, V, and t, then you are left with a linear equation in "a". Subtract the value of Vt, multiply by 2, and divide off the value of t². This should leave you with "a" isolated on one side of the "equals" sign, with the value of "a" on the other. :wink:

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Find the value in formula.

Find the value in formula.