How Do You Find Initial Velocity?
Find an object's initial velocity using the appropriate formula for the information you have available: u = v-at, or u^2 = v^2-2as, or u = s/t-1/2at. Use first formula if final velocity (V), time (t) and acceleration (a) are known.
- Determine the value of force and final velocity
Find f = ma, where m is the mass of the object; and a is the acceleration of the object. Then, calculate the final velocity with using the formula v(f) = v(i) + at, where: v(f) is the final velocity of the object, v(i) is the initial velocity of the object and a is the acceleration of the object over a specific period of time, t.
- Determine the acceleration
Find the acceleration by using the formula a = f/m where m is the mass of the body in motion and f is the force applied. Substitute the relevant values for the force and mass to find the acceleration.
- Calculate the initial velocity
Calculate the initial velocity using the derived values of time (t), final velocity (v), acceleration (a) and distance (d). Then, using the formula u = v-at, substitute the values of the variables given in to the equation to obtain the final velocity.
