What is the term for the rate of change of velocity of an object?

The term for the rate of change of velocity of an object is indeed acceleration. Acceleration is defined as the change in velocity over a specific time interval. This concept is fundamental in physics because it quantifies how quickly an object is speeding up or slowing down.

Velocity itself is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude (speed) and direction. When an object changes its velocity, it could be in the form of an increase in speed, decrease in speed, or a change in direction while moving at a constant speed. Acceleration can be calculated using the formula:

[ a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} ]

where ( \Delta v ) is the change in velocity and ( \Delta t ) is the time taken for that change. Understanding acceleration is crucial for studying motion, as it connects the concepts of force, mass, and motion through Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration. This makes acceleration a key concept in the study of dynamics and kinematics in physics.