Kinematics - (describing how things move)

Scalar (no direction) Vector (w/ direction)

Distance (d) Displacement (d)
Change in position
How far you travel
(How far you travel in a given
direction)

Speed (s) Velocity (v)

How fast you travel How fast you travel (in a given
direction)
Acceleration (a)
Rate of change of velocity

 Describing Motion

There are lots of different ways to describe motion.

1. Words
2. Sketches
3. Time elapsed photographs
4. Physical Expressions (Equations)
5. Graphical Representation

 Kinematics Equations that Make Sense!

Average speed: sav = d / change in t SI unit: m/s

sav = d / t = d / tf - ti

Average velocity: vav = d / t SI unit: m/s

vav = (df - di) / t

df = di + vav t

Average acceleration: aav = v / t SI unit: m/s/s = m/s2

aav = (vf - vi) / t

vf = vi + aav t

Note: if the time intervals are very small we call these quantities instantaneous

 Using Split Times!

Position (m) 0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25

Split Time (s) 1.6 2.4 3.0 3.5 4.0

Av. Velocity (m/s) 3.1 2.1 1.7 1.4 1.2(5)

Determine the average velocity for each distance interval

Determine average velocity of the object over the time recorded

vav = df - di / t = 25m - 0m / 14.5 s = 1.7 m / s

Determine the average acceleration over the time recorded

a = vf - vi / t = (1.25 m/s - 3.1m/s) / 14.5 s = - 0.13 m / s2
Note: the a is negative because the change in v is negative!!

 Reference Frames

All measurements are made relative to a frame of reference..

Sitting at your desk right now you dont seem to be moving but you
are infact revolving at 30 km/s (67,000 mi/h) around the sun

The earth also has a rotational speed about its axis. People on
earth experience different tangential speeds depending on their
latitude. The space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center is already
traveling at 410 m/s (917 mi/h) before it even gets off the ground.
A geosynchronous satellite that is in a stationary orbit over the
earth is traveling at over 3080 m/s (6890 mi/h)

Someone moving south at 5 km/h on a train which itself is moving

south at 80 km/h will be moving at 85 km/h relative to the earth. If
the person had been moving north on the train their velocity would
have been 75 km/h relative to the earth.

 Solving Kinematics Problems

1. Assign a coordinate system Define which directions are positive and

negative.

2. Write down your known variables and show unknowns with a question
mark.

3. Write down the kinematics expression that will allow you to solve for
one variable. All the others in your expression should be known.
Rearrange if necessary.

4. Substitute numbers and units into your physical expression.

5. Solve the equation for your unknown and include the correct units.

6. Check your answer.

Does the magnitude of your answer make sense?

Do the units come out right?
Can you use another expression to check your answer?

Example 1 Distance Run by a Jogger

How far does a jogger run in 1.5 hours (5400 s) if his

average speed is 2.22 m/s?

t = 5400s sav = 2.22 m/s d=?

sav = d / t

So d = sav t = (2.22 m/s)(5400s)

d = 12000 m

Check: Units come out right (m) when multiplied

Example 2 The Worlds Fastest Jet-Engine Car

Andy Green in the car ThrustSSC set a world record of 341.1 m/s in
1997. To establish such a record, the driver makes two runs through
the course, one in each direction,to nullify wind effects. From the data,
determine the averagevelocity for each run.

a) t = 4.740 s x = +1609m vav = ?

vav = x/ t = (+1609m)/ (4.740 s)

vav = + 339.5 m/s

b) t = 4.695 s x = -1609m vav = ?

vav = x/ t = (-1609m)/ (4.695 s)

vav = - 342.7 m/s

Example 3 Acceleration and Increasing Velocity

Determine the average acceleration of the plane.

vi = 0 km/h vf = 260 km/h ti = 0s tf = 29s

aav = (vf - vi) / (tf ti)

aav = (+260 km/h 0 km/h) / (29s 0s)

aav = + 9.0 km/h /s

 Graphical Representation of Motion

Kinematics Relationships Through Graphing:

1. The slope of a d-t graph at any time tells you the av. velocity of
the object.
2. The slope of a v-t graph at any time tells you the av.
acceleration of the object.
3. The area under a v-t graph tells you the displacement of the
object during that time.
4. The area under a a-t graph tells you the change in velocity
of the object during that time

 Constant Motion

60 20 10

18
50
16 8

14

acceleration (m/s)
40

velocity (m/s)
position (m)

12 6

30 10

8 4
20
6

4 2
10
2

0 0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
time (s) time (s) time (s)

On the d-t graph at any point in On the v-t graph at any point in On the a-t graph the area between
time aav = vf - vi / t the line and the x-axis is.
time vav = d / t
aav = (10 - 10)m/s / (5 - 0)s
vav = (50 - 0)m / (5 - 0)s Area of rectangle = b x h
aav = 0 m/s2 Area = 5s x 0 m/s2 = 0 m/s
vav = 10 m/s
Looking at the area between the
The area thus represents.
The slope is constant on this graph line and the x-axis.
so the velocity is constant v = aav t
Area of rectangle = b x h
Area = 5s x 10 m/s = 50 m Change in velocity
Which is of course displacement
 Changing Motion

60
60 25
25 8

50
50 7
20
20
6

acceleration (m/s/s)
40
40

velocity (m/s)
velocity (m/s)
(m)

15 5
position(m)

15
30
30
position

20 10
10
3
20

10 2
55
10
1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 00 0
-10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
time
time (s)
(s) time
time(s)
(s) time (s)

On the d-t graph at any point in On the v-t graph at any point in
On the a-t graph the area between
time aav = vf - vi / t
time vav = d / t the line and the x-axis is.
aav = (20 - 0)m/s / (5 - 0)s
The slope is constantly increasing Area of rectangle = b x h
on this graph so the velocity is aav = 4 m/s2
increasing at a constant rate Area = 5s x 4 m/s2 = 20 m/s
Looking at the area between the
line and the x-axis.
The slope of a tangent line drawn The area thus represents.
at a point on the curve will tell you Area of triangle = 1/2 (b x h)
the instantaneous velocity at this Change in velocity
Area = 1/2 (5s x 20 m/s) = 50 m
position
Which is of course displacement
 To determine the velocity at any point in time you need to find the slope of the distance-time graph. This means that
you need to find the slope of the tangent line drawn at the point of interest. By selecting two points spaced evenly
on either side of the point of interest, a line can be drawn between them that has the same slope as the tangent.
(shown below).

Slope between 1s and 3s shows the

velocity at 2s The velocity at 2s is p/t = (18m - 2m)/ (3s - 1s) = 8m/s

60 25

50
20
The acceleration is given by the
40

15
slope of the velocity-time graph.
30 Therefore:
20
10
a = v / t = 20m/s / 5s = 4m/s2
10 5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
-10
time (s)
time (s)

Example Problem

A student is late for the school bus. She runs east

down the road at 3 m/s for 30s, then thinks that
she has dropped her calculator so stops for 10s
to check. She jogs back west at 2 m/s for 10s,
stops for 5 s then accelerates uniformly from
rest to 4 m/s east over a 10 second period.
a) Sketch the velocity-time graph of the students
motion
b) Determine the total distance and displacement of
the student during this time
c) Determine the students average velocity during
this time

Velocity-Time Graph of the Students Motion

Total distance traveled by the student is.

dtotal=d1+d2+d3+d4+d5
dtotal=s1t1+s2t2+s3t3+s4t4+s5t5

dtotal=(3m/s)(30s)+(0m/s)(10s)+(2m/s)(10s)+
(0m/s)(5s)+(1/2(4m/s)(10s)
dtotal=130m

Total displacement by the student is.

+eastwest
dtotal=d1+d2+d3+d4+d5
dtotal=v1t1+v2t2+v3t3+v4t4+v5t5

dtotal=(3m/s)(30s)+(0m/s)(10s)+(2m/s)(10s)+
(0m/s)(5s)+(1/2(4m/s)(10s)
dtotal=+90m(East)

Average velocity of the student is..

vav=dtotal/ttotal =+90mEast/65s

vav=1.4m/sEast

+90m +20m
20m

 More Kinematics Equations that Make
Sense!

df = di + vav t but vav = (vi + vf) / 2

df = di + (vi + vf) /2 t but vf = vi + aav t

df = di + (vi + (vi + aav t) /2 t

df = di + vi t + 1/2 aavt2 or d = vi t + 1/2 aavt2

df = di + (vi + vf) /2 t but t = (vf - vi ) / aav

df = di + (vi + vf) /2 (vf - vi) /aav

d = (vi + vf) /2 (vf - vi) /aav So d = (vf2 - vi2 ) /2aav

and vf2 = vi2 + 2aav d

 Free Fall
1. Free fall describes the motion of an object which is only under the influence of
gravity. I.e. a ball thrown upwards or dropped

2. An object in free fall experiences a constant uniform acceleration of 9.8 m/s 2 in the
downwards direction

3. Kinematics equations can be used for solving free fall problems by replacing aav in
the expressions with g where g is 9.8 m/s2 downwards

vf = vi + g t dv = vi t + 1/2 g t2 vf2 = vi2 + 2g dv

4. Air resistance limits the time of free fall. Eventually a falling object will reach a
constant velocity downwards known as its terminal velocity
-
vi is negative
+ vi is positive

g is negative g is positive

- +
If you define up as the positive direction, g must If you define up as the negative direction, g
be negative because the velocity gets less must be positive because the velocity gets less
positive over time negative over time

FreelyFallingBodies

Example 1 A Falling Stone

A stone is dropped from the top of a tall building. After 3.00s

of free fall, what is the displacement y of the stone?

FreelyFallingBodies

dv a vf vi t
? 9.8m/s2 0m/s 3.00s

FreelyFallingBodies

dv a vf vi t
? 9.80m/s2 0m/s 3.00s

dv=vit+gt2
=(0m/s)(3.00s)+(9.8m/s2)(3.00s)2
=44.1m

FreelyFallingBodies

Example 2 How High Does it Go?

The referee tosses the coin up

with an initial speed of 5.00m/s.
In the absence if air resistance,
how high does the coin go above
its point of release?

FreelyFallingBodies

dv a vf vi t
? 9.80m/s2 0m/s +5.00m/s

 FreelyFallingBodies

dv a vf vi t
? 9.80m/s2 0m/s +5.00
m/s

vf v
2 2
v =vi +2gdv
f
2 2
d v
i

2g
0 m s 5.00 m s
2 2

d v =1.28m

2 9.80 m s 2