Describing Motion: Kinematics

in One Dimension

Mechanics
the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of

physical bodies when subjected to forces or

displacements, and the subsequent effect of the bodies
on their environment.

PARTS OF MECHANICS: statics and dynamics

PARTS OF DYNAMICS
Kinematics = Description of HOW objects move.

No reference to WHY objects move.

Kinetics = WHY objects move. It takes into account

the forces that caused motion.

TYPES OF MOTION TO BE
CONSIDERED:
Translational Motion : Motion with no

rotation.
Rotational Motion: motion with
rotation
Vibrational Motion

Translational Motion

Translational Motion

Two-dimensional (Motion in a Plane)

Projectile Motion
Circular Motion

Definition of Terms
Reference Frames
Displacement and Distance
Velocity and Speed
Average Velocity
Instantaneous Velocity
Acceleration
Motion at Constant Acceleration
Falling Objects

Reference Frames
They are frames used as reference in the
measurement of position, distance, or speed.

Inertial Frame of Reference

It is a frame of reference where Newtons first

law of motion is obeyed.
It is a frame of reference in which other
Newton's laws of motion hold.

Inertial Frame of Reference

it is moving at a constant speed in a straight

line, or it is standing still.

Inertial Frame of Reference

Imagine that you are sitting in a car at a red stoplight. A
pair of dice is hanging from the rear-view mirror.
As you sit there, the dice are at rest relative to you. The
only forces acting on the dice are the force of gravity
pulling them down and the string pulling them up.
These two forces are equal in magnitude, so the total
force on the dice is exactly zero.
We imagine that the car is facing to the right.

Inertial Frame of Reference

The light turns green and the driver steps on the gas.
The dice swing towards the back of the car.
So Newton's First Law is not true: at one moment the
dice are stationary and at the next moment they begin
to swing towards the back of the car although no net
forces are acting on them.

Inertial Frame of Reference

Now imagine that you are standing on the sidewalk

watching the car.
As it sits at the red light the dice are stationary relative to
you. When the light turns green and the car begins to
accelerate to the right, the dice remain stationary relative
to you until the force exerted on them by the string forces
them to follow the motion of the car.
So Newton's First Law is true when you stand on the
sidewalk, but is not true when you are sitting in the car.

Distance and Displacement

Displacement (blue line) is how far the object is
from its starting point, regardless of how it got
there.
(vector)
Distance (dashed line) is length of travel
measured along the actual path.
(scalar)

Distance as Magnitude of Displacement

Possible?

Speed and Velocity

Speed is the rate of change of distance. How far
an object travels in a given time interval. (Scalar)
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement. It
includes directional information.
(Vector)

Average Speed and Average Velocity

d 2 d1 d
s

t2 t1
t

Average Speed and Average Velocity

x2 x1 x
v

t 2 t1
t

Walk for 70 s

Average Speed = (100 m)/(70 s) = 1.4 m/s

Average velocity = (40 m)/(70 s) = 0.57 m/s

Speed as Magnitude of Velocity

Possible?

Instantaneous Velocity

The instantaneous velocity is the average velocity,

in the limit as the time interval becomes
infinitesimally short.

Evaluated in the limit of t approaching zero

Instantaneous Velocity
These graphs show (a) constant velocity and (b)
varying velocity.

Acceleration

Velocity can change with time. An object whose

velocity is changing with time is said to be
accelerating.
Acceleration is the rate of
change of velocity.

Acceleration

v2 v1 v
a

t 2 t1 t

Positive Acceleration

The speed is increasing uniformly by 15 km/h every second :

Uniform Acceleration

Negative Acceleration
The previous image shows positive acceleration;
here is negative acceleration:

Instantaneous Acceleration
The instantaneous acceleration is the average
acceleration, in the limit as the time interval
becomes infinitesimally short.

Evaluated in the limit of t approaching zero

Motion at Constant Acceleration

x0 is position at t = 0
v0 is velocity at t = 0

and x is position at t = t
and v is velocity at t = t

Motion at Constant Acceleration

The average velocity of an object during a time
interval t is

The acceleration, assumed constant, is

v v0 at

Motion at Constant Acceleration

In addition, as the velocity is increasing at a
constant rate, we know that

Motion at Constant Acceleration

1 2
x x0 v0t at
2

Motion at Constant Acceleration

We can also combine these equations so as to

eliminate t:

Motion at Constant Acceleration :

Kinematic Equations

not valid unless a is constant!

Falling Objects
Near the surface of the Earth, all objects
experience approximately the same acceleration
due to gravity.

This is one of the most

common examples of
motion with constant
acceleration.

Falling Objects

In the absence of air

resistance, all objects
fall with the same
acceleration, although
this may be hard to tell
by testing in an
environment where
there is air resistance.

To treat motion of falling objects, use the same

one dimensional uniform acceleration
equations with the following changes:

1) The acceleration due to gravity at the

e a r t h s s u r f a c e i s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 9 . 8 0 m / s 2 .
Replace a by g = 9.8 m/s2
2 ) u s u a l l y, w e c o n s i d e r v e r t i c a l m o t i o n t o b e i n
the y direction, so replace x by y and x0 by
y0 (usually y0 = 0)

Equations for Bodies in Free Fall

v = v0 + g t
y = y0 + v0 t + ()gt2
v2 = (v0)2 + 2g (y - y0)
= ()(v + v0)
= y / t
g = 9.8 m/s2

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Usually y0 = 0. Sometimes v0 = 0

Tips in Solving Kinematic Problems

1. Read the whole problem and make sure you
understand it. Then read it again.
2. Decide on the objects under study and what
the time interval is.

3. Draw a diagram and choose coordinate axes.

4. Write down the known (given) quantities, and
then the unknown ones that you need to find.
5. What physics applies here? Plan an approach
to a solution.

Tips in Solving Problems

6. Which equations relate the known and
unknown quantities? Are they valid in this
situation? Solve algebraically for the unknown
quantities, and check that your result is
sensible (correct dimensions).
7. Calculate the solution and round it to the
appropriate number of significant figures.
8. Look at the result is it reasonable? Does it
agree with a rough estimate?
9. Check the units again.

Position-Time Graphs

Curves on a P-T Graph

Constant positive velocity
(going forward)

P
o
s
i
t
i
o
n

Constant negative velocity

(going backward)

Zero Velocity
(not moving)
Accelerating

Time

Meters (m)

Position-Time Graph
15
10
5
2

Find the:

10

12

Displacement after 4 seconds

Displacement after 14 seconds
Distance traveled after 14 seconds
Velocity from 0-4 sec
Velocity from 4-10 sec
Velocity from 10-14 sec
Acceleration from 0-4 se

14

Time (s)

Answers:
Displacement after 4 seconds

10 m

Displacement after 14 seconds

0m

Distance traveled after 14

seconds
Velocity from 0-4 sec
Velocity from 4-10 sec
Velocity from 10-14 sec
Acceleration from 0-4 sec

20 m
2.5 m/s
0 m/s
-2.5 m/s
0 m/s2

Velocity-Time Graphs

Instantaneous velocity velocity of an object at a

single instant
Ex: Your speedometer
V-T graphs: the slope of these graphs gives you
acceleration
Also, the area under the curve of a velocity-time
graph gives you the displacement

Curves on a V-T Graph

Constant positive acceleration

(speeding up in positive direction)

Constant negative acceleration

(slowing down in positive direction

Zero acceleration
(constant positive velocity)

Time

Velocity (m/s)

Velocity-Time Graph
15
10
5

Time (s)

Find the:

Velocity after 2 sec

Acceleration from 0-2 s
Acceleration from 4-6 s
Displacement from 0-2 s

Velocity after 9 sec

Acceleration from 2-4s
Acceleration form 6-9s
Displacement from 0-9 s

Answers:
Velocity after 2 sec

10 m/s

Velocity after 9 sec

0 m/s

Acceleration from 0-2 s

5 m/s2

Acceleration from 2-4s

0 m/s2

Acceleration from 4-6 s

2.5 m/s2

Acceleration form 6-9s

-5 m/s2

Displacement from 0-2 s

10 m

Displacement from 0-9 s

77.5 m

Example 1.Estimate Breaking Distance

v = v0 = constant = 14 m/s
t = 0.50 s
a = - 6.0 m/s2
a=0
v decreases from 14 m/s to zero
x = v0t = 7 m
x0 = 7 m, v0 = 14 m/s, v = 0
v2 = (v0)2 + 2a(x x0)
x = x0 + [v2 - (v0)2]/(2a)
= 7 m + 16 m = 23 m

Example 2

The speed of an automobile going north is

reduced from 90 km/hr to 50 km/hr in a
distance of 125 m.
a) What is the acceleration if a is constant?
b) How much time is elapsed?
c) How much more distance will the car travel
before it is brought to rest from 50 km/hr
assuming that it continuous to accelerate
at the same rate?

Example 3

At the instant the traffic light turns green, an

automobile starts with a constant acceleration
of 1.8 m/s2. At the same instant, a truck
traveling with a constant speed of 9.1 m/s
overtakes and passes the automobile.
a) What is the distance from the starting point
the car overtakes the truck?
b) Velocity of the car when it overtakes the
truck?

Falling Objects

Falling Objects

A Ball is dropped from rest from the top of a tall

building.
a) How far has it fallen after1s?
b) What is the velocity after 1 s? after 2s?
c) If the building is 50 m high, with what speed will
it strike the ground?
d) How much time does it take the ball to reach
the ground?

Problem 2

A ball is thrown upward with

an initial velocity of 20 m/s.
What is the maximum
height that the ball will
reach? As it passed by the
point where it was released
on its way downward, what
is its velocity?

Problem 3

A student in physics is determined to test the law of gravity

for herself and walks off from the terrace of UPMin Admin
building (imagine it is 200 m high, kunwari lang!), stopwatch
in hand, and starts her free fall (zero initial velocity). Five
seconds later, superman arrives at the scene and dives off
from the same terrace to save the student.
a) What must be the magnitude of supermans initial
velocity be so that he catches the student just before the
ground is reached? Assume that supermans
acceleration is that of any free-falling body.
b) If the height of the admin building is less than some
minimum value, even superman cant save the student.
What is this minimum height?

Summary

Kinematics is the description of how objects

move with respect to a defined reference frame.
Displacement is the change in position of an
object.

Summary

Average speed is the distance traveled divided

by the time it took; average velocity is the
displacement divided by the time.
Instantaneous velocity is the limit of average
velocity as the time becomes infinitesimally
short.

Summary

Average acceleration is the change in velocity

divided by the time.

Instantaneous acceleration is the limit as the time

interval becomes infinitesimally small.
Objects falling (or having been projected) near
the surface of the Earth experience a gravitational
acceleration of 9.80 m/s2.