Asked by: shalima Subject: physics Question: what is time rate of change of accelaration? is there any application for it in daily life? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visitor Ip: 59.88.77.151
It is well known that the first derivative of position (symbol x) with respect to time is velocity (symbol v) and the second is acceleration (symbol a). It is a little less well known that the third derivative, i.e. the rate of change of acceleration, is technically known as jerk (symbol j). Jerk is a vector but may also be used loosely as a scalar quantity because there is not a separate term for the magnitude of jerk analogous to speed for magnitude of velocity.
In the UK jolt has sometimes been used instead of jerk and may be equally acceptable.
Many other terms have appeared in individual cases for the third derivative, including pulse, impulse, bounce, surge, shock and super acceleration. These are generally less appropriate than jerk and jolt, either because they are used in engineering to mean other things or because the common English use of the word does not fit the meaning so well. For example impulse is more commonly used in physics to mean a change of momentum imparted by a force of limited duration [Belanger 1847] and surge is used by electricians to mean something like rate of change of current or voltage. The terms jerk and jolt are therefore preferred for rate of change of acceleration. Jerk appears to be the more common of the two. It is also recognised in international standards:
The time rate of change of acceleration has been called the jerk and is important in certain applications of mechanics and acoustics.