Equations of motion

• Displacement, velocity & acceleration

• Velocity-time graph
• The five kinematics equations
• Solving kinematics problems
• Gravity

Equations of motion - 1 VCE Physics.com

 Displacement, velocity & acceleration

• Displacement is a vector quantity - it is the change of position of an

object.
• Velocity is a vector quantity - it is the rate of change of displacement
with time.
• Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time.
• There are five kinematics rules: each one requires three of the variables
to be known.
• These rules are based on constant acceleration.
• These rules apply to motion in one dimension (forward & back, up &
down....). Directions can defined as positive or negative.
x = displacement (m)
t = time (s)
a = acceleration (m/s2)
u = initial velocity (m/s)
v = final velocity (m/s)
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 Velocity-time graphs

• The gradient of the graph gives the acceleration.

• The area under the graph gives the displacement.

Velocity (m/s)

v Acceleration

Time (s)

t
Displacement
1 m/s x 1 s = 1m
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 Defining the equations (1)

• The gradient of the graph gives the acceleration.

Velocity (m/s)

v
v-u v-u
a=
t
u
t

Time (s)

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 Defining the equations (2)

• The area under the graph gives the displacement.

Velocity (m/s)
Trapezium area
v 1
= (u +v )t
2

u
v 1
x = (u +v )t
2
u

t Time (s)

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 Defining the equations (3)

• The area under the graph gives the displacement.

Triangle area
1
= t × at
Velocity (m/s)
2
1 2
v 1 2 = at
at 2
2
v - u = at

u
1 2
x = ut+ at
2
ut

Time (s)

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 Defining the equations (4)

• The area under the graph gives the displacement.

1 2
Velocity (m/s) at
2
v
1 2
x = vt- at
2
u
vt

Time (s)

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 Defining the equations (5)

• We can also define a rule that is not dependent on time.

v-u v-u
a= t=
t a

1 (u +v ) (v −u)
x = (u +v )t x=
2 2 a

v 2 −u 2
x=
2a

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 Solving kinematics problems (1)

• A car accelerates from the lights, 0 to 60 km/h in 4.0 seconds

• Find the distance covered in that time.

Known information:
1
x = (u +v )t
u = 0 m/s 2

60 km/h 1
v= = 17 m/s x = (0 + 17 m/s) × 4 s
3.6 2

t = 4.0 s x = 34 m
(This is an average speed
of 8.5 m/s over the 4 seconds.)

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 Solving kinematics problems (2)

• The brakes & tyres of a car can provide a maximum deceleration of

around 6 m/s2. If a car is traveling at 100 km/h, what is the minimum
distance in which it could stop?

Known information:
2 2
v -u
100 km/h x=
u= = 28 m/s 2a
3.6
2 2
(0 m/s) - (28 m/s)
a = -6 m/s2 x= 2
2 × -6 m/s
v = 0 m/s x = 65 m
(Stopping distance varies with
the square of speed.
2 x speed = 4 x stopping distance.)
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 Solving kinematics problems (3)

• A tennis ball is hit upwards at a speed of 15 m/s.

• How high does the ball go? How long does it take to hit the ground?

v-u v-u
Known information: a= t=
t a
u = 15 m/s - 15 m/s - 15 m/s
t=
2 -10 m/s2
a = -10 m/s
t=3s
Acceleration due to gravity Maximum height at 1.5 s, v = 0
g ≈10 m/s2
1
x = (u +v )t
If the ball lands at the height 2
that it was hit from: 1
x = (15 m/s + 0 m/s)(1.5 s)
v = -15 m/s 2
x = 11.25 m
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 Gravity

• Objects falling (or rising up) experience an 0m

acceleration due to the force of gravity. 5m
• g (on Earth) = 9.81 m/s2 ≈10 m/s2 20 m
• (Presuming that air resistance is insignificant:
the projectile is heavy, small & not moving very
fast.) 45 m

Time (s) Speed Distance

0 0 m/s 0m
u = 0 m /s 80 m
1 10 m/s 5m
v = at 2 20 m/s 20 m
1 2 3 30 m/s 45 m
x = at
2 4 40 m/s 80 m 125 m
5 50 m/s 125 m

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 Graphs of motion under gravity

Acceleration
a = constant
time (s)

u = 0 m /s
v = u + at
2
a = -10 m/s
1 2
x =ut + at
2
Velocity

time (s)

v = −10t
2
x = −5t

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