Acceleration is a measure of the change in velocity of an object. When you step on the gas pedal in the car, the car will move faster and faster. This change in speed is an acceleration . Acceleration is defined as the rate of change in velocity. This implies that if an object’s velocity is increasing or decreasing, then the object is accelerating. Acceleration has both magnitude and direction, therefore it is a Vector quantity. According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, acceleration is defined as the ratio of the force applied to the object to the mass of the object. Let's understand more about acceleration and related concepts like Acceleration Formula, its Unit, Types ... Instantaneous acceleration : In a velocity-time curve, the instantaneous acceleration is given by the slope of the tangent on the v-t curve at any instant. Positive, Negative and Zero Acceleration Consider the velocity-time graph shown above.