Is acceleration a dimensionless number?

Question

anonymous · Answer

@amistre64

amistre64 · Answer

what is the definition of acceleration?

amistre64 · Answer

or, if you know how the acceleration due to gravity is defined ... is it dimensionless?

anonymous · Answer

if the acceleration is equal to the gravity sin theta, then is it dimensionless?$$a=g \sin \Theta$$

anonymous · Answer

and we know the angle is like 40 degrees...

amistre64 · Answer

sin(theta) is dimensionless,  gravity is not

anonymous · Answer

well, thank you

amistre64 · Answer

a/g = sin(theta) ... the dimensions cancel out to 1 and we are left with sin(theta) as a dimensionless value whose only purpose is to offer some sense of scale to the problem.

amistre64 · Answer

at least thats my view of it

anonymous · Answer

Another approach. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, i.e.$$a=\frac{ \Delta v }{ \Delta t }$$If you know the dimensions (units) of velocity and time, you can work out the dimension of acceleration.