Dynamics MDB 2043

Rectilinear Kinematics: Continuous Motion

May 2016 Semester

Lesson Outcomes
At the end of this lecture you should be able
to:

DEW

Determine the kinematic quantities (position,

displacement, velocity, and acceleration) of a
particle traveling along a straight path.

Rectilinear Kinematics: Continious Motion

A particle travels along a straight-line
path defined by the coordinate axis s.
The position of the particle at any
instant, relative to the origin, O, is
defined by the position vector r, or the
scalar s.
Scalar s can be positive or negative.
Typical units for r and s is meters (m).
The displacement of the particle is
defined as its change in position.
Vector form: r = r - r

Scalar form: s = s - s

The total distance traveled by the particle, sT, is a positive scalar

that represents the total length of the path over which the
particle travels.

Position, Displacement & Distance:

Example

-3

-2

-1

t (sec)

10

12

Position, x (m)

-2

Time,

From time t =0 to t =12 sec,

The object moved from position x = 2 m to another position x = -2 sec.
The displacement of the object is -4 m. [ s = -4 m] (must state direction)
The distance travelled by the object is 14 m. (No information on direction but
must know the path taken)

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Velocity
Velocity is a measure of the rate of change in the position of a particle.
It is a vector quantity (it has both magnitude and direction).
The magnitude of the velocity is called speed, with unit of m/s .
The average velocity of a particle during a
time interval t is
vavg = r / t
The instantaneous velocity is the time-derivative of position.
v = dr / dt
Speed is the magnitude of velocity: v = ds / dt

Average speed is the total distance traveled divided by elapsed time:

(vsp)avg = sT / t

Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate of change in the velocity of a particle.
It is a vector quantity.
Typical unit is m/s2 .
The instantaneous acceleration is the time
derivative of velocity.
Vector form: a = dv / dt

Scalar form: a = dv / dt = d2s / dt2

Acceleration can be positive (speed
increasing) or negative (speed decreasing).
Note that, the derivative equations for velocity and acceleration can be
manipulated to get
a ds = v dv
3

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Summary of kinematic relations: Rectilinear motion

Differentiate position to get velocity and acceleration.
v = ds/dt
a = dv/dt
a = v dv/ds

1
2
3

Integrate acceleration for velocity and position.

Position:

Velocity:
v

dv a dt or v dv a ds

ds v dt

vo

so

vo

so

Note that so and vo represent the initial position and

velocity of the particle at t = 0.

Constant Acceleration
The three kinematic equations can be integrated for the special case
when acceleration is constant (a = ac) to obtain very useful equations.
A common example of constant acceleration is gravity; i.e., a body
freely falling toward earth. In this case, ac = g = 9.81 m/s2 downward.
These equations are:
v

dv a dt
c

vo

ds v dt
so
v

yields

s so v o t (1/2) ac t 2

s
c

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v vo act

v dv a ds
vo

yields

yields

2
v2 (vo) 2ac(s - so)

so

Velocity as a Function of Time (v=v(t))

dv
a
dt

v0

t0

t0

v vv

dv adt a dt

a t t 0
t

v v0 a(t t0 )
Position as a Function of Time (s=s(t))
1

ds
v
dt

s
s0

ds

t0

vdt

v
t0

a ( t t 0 ) dt

1
s s0 v 0 ( t t 0 ) a ( t t 0 ) 2
2

Velocity as a Function of Position (v=v(s))

3 vdv ads

v0

v2 v02 2a(s s0 )

vdv ads
s0

In special cases

v v 0 at

t0=0

s s0 v 0 t

v at

t0=0, s0=0 and v0=0

1 2
at
2

1 2
at
2

v 2 v 02 2 a ( s s 0 )
v 2 2 as

Variable Acceleration
Depending on the nature of a problem, acceleration (a) may also be
known in different forms including
(a) a is a given function of time

a=a(t)

(b) a is a given function of velocity

a=a(v)

(c) a is a given function of displacement

a=a(s)

(a) Given a=a(t), develop v-t and s-t relationships

2

dv
a (t )
dt

v0

dv

t0

Tip: Velocity v(t) as a function of

time can be found by integrating a(t)

v v 0 a( t )dt
t0

ds
v(t )
dt

s s0

DEW

s0

t0

ds

v ( t )dt

a ( t )dt

t0

v ( t )dt
Tip: Distance s(t) as a function of
time can be found by integrating v(t)

(b) Given a=a(v), develop v-t and s-v relationships

2

dv
a (v )
dt

dv

a (v )

v
v0

t
t0

dt

dv
t t0
a (v )

v0

This gives a relationship between velocity v and time taken t.

vdv a(v)ds

v0

v0

s
v
dv ds
s0
a( v )

v
dv s s0
a(v )

This gives the distance travelled s before

the velocity v is reached.

(c) Given a=a(s), develop v-s and s-t relationships

3 vdv a( s )ds

v0

vdv a( s)ds
s0

v 2 v02 2 a( s )ds
s0

This gives velocity v(s) as a function of distance s.

ds
v (s )
dt

t0

s0

dt

t t0

s0

ds
v( s)

ds
v(s)

This gives a relationship between distance s and time taken t.

DEW

References:

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R.C. Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics,

SI 13th Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2012.