# Acceleration Acceleration is best thought of as some change in the velocity vector, $v$. Note that $v$ has a magnitude and direction. *Any change* to $v$ is an **acceleration**. A change in the magnitude of $v$ is what we traditionally think of as acceleration (such as a car accelerating onto the freeway). A change in the direction of $v$ is still an acceleration, but it is now referred to as **angular acceleration**. Acceleration is change in velocity. So if we change our velocity, by definition we accelerate! So changing the direction, even if magnitude stays the same, is changing velocity, and hence is acceleration- by definition! --- Date: 20240519 Links to: [Physics](notes/Physics.md) Tags: References: * []()