Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
The acceleration of the center of mass (COM) is the rate at which the velocity of the COM changes with time. It represents how quickly an object's overall motion is changing.
Related terms
Center of Gravity (COG): The point where the entire weight of an object can be considered to act.
Uniform gravitational field: A region in which every point experiences the same gravitational force per unit mass.