What is the equation to calculate acceleration of an object?

The correct equation to calculate acceleration is indeed based on the change in speed over time, which is defined as the difference between final speed and initial speed divided by the time interval during which this change occurs. Acceleration measures how quickly an object's velocity is changing, and it's a fundamental concept in physics.

The formula for acceleration can be succinctly expressed as:

[ \text{Acceleration} = \frac{\text{Final Speed} - \text{Initial Speed}}{\text{Time}} ]

This equation provides the average acceleration over the given time period, illustrating that acceleration is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. It’s important because it allows you to understand how an object's motion changes as a function of time, directly correlating to how forces applied to the object will influence its speed.

The other choices provided do not accurately represent the concept of acceleration in the context of physics. The first option combines final and initial speeds incorrectly, which does not yield acceleration. The third option measures distance per time, which pertains to speed rather than acceleration. Lastly, the fourth option relates to Newton's second law of motion where force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration, rather than being a direct definition of acceleration itself. Thus, it emphasizes