On Paper: Accelerometer Described

An accelerometer measures acceleration. The unit of measurement for acceleration is m/s/s or m/(s^2): meters per second per second, or meters per second squared. Generally, accelerometers measure gravity which is a 'g'. Specifically g = 9.8 m/(s^2). 1 'g' is normal gravity. 2 g's is twice the force of gravity. Accelerometers have various sensitivities that are appropriate for certain applications. Typical applications for accelerometers are measuring tilt, measuring shock, and measuring something falling (i.e. you laptop is falling, lock those hard drive heads). Some examples of accelerometer sensitivities are : 1.2g, 1/5g, 3g, 5g, 16g. The 16g would be great at measuring hard shocks and vibrations. Sensitive g's like 1.2g is great for measuring tilt.