Chapter 3

Linear Motion

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Linear Motion
Motion is Relative
Speed
Instantaneous Speed
Average Speed
Velocity
Constant Velocity
Changing Velocity
Acceleration
Acceleration on Galileo’s Inclined Planes
Free Fall
How Fast
How Far
How Quickly “How Fast” Changes

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

This lecture will help you understand:

• Motion Is Relative
• Speed : Average and Instantaneous
• Velocity
• Acceleration
• Free Fall

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Motion Is Relative
Motion of objects is always described as relative
to something else. For example:

• You walk on the road

relative to Earth, but Earth
is moving relative to the
Sun.
• So your motion relative to
the Sun is different from
your motion relative to
Earth.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Speed
Galileo is believed to be the first person to measure speed

For most situations we will be using meters / second and not

spend a lot of time with the conversion of units.

100 mi/h = 160 km/h = 44 m/s

Distance is always measured relative to something.

This makes speeds relative

Examples:
 Speed relative to the road
 Speed of the earth relative to the sun. distance
Speed = --------------
time
Instantaneous Speed
Average Speed
MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
 Average Speed
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
The average speed of driving 30 km in 1 hour
is the same as the average speed of
driving
A. 30 km in 1/2 hour.
B. 30 km in 2 hours.
C. 60 km in 1/2 hour.
D. 60 km in 2 hours.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Average Speed
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
The average speed of driving 30 km in 1 hour is
the same as the average speed of driving
A. 30 km in 1/2 hour.
B. 30 km in 2 hours.
C. 60 km in 1/2 hour.
D. 60 km in 2 hours.
Explanation:
Average speed = total distance / time
So, average speed = 30 km / 1 h = 30 km/h.
Same
Now, if we drive 60 km in 2 hours:
Average speed = 60 km / 2 h = 30 km/h
MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
 In what order do the balls arrive?

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Answers
L1
Ans: C, B, A
Until the balls reach line L1
their conditions are
identical. Each ball travels
approximately the same
distance. The ball with the
largest average velocity
will arrive first.

When a ball drops to a lower level its speed increases.

Balls B and C both drop the same vertical distance but C
spend more time at this higher velocity and therefore
has the higher aveage velocity.
MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
 Rank the final velocities

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Answers
L1 Ans: B, A=C
Until the balls reach line L1
their velocities are equal.
When a ball drops to a lower
level its speed increases.
When it rises its velocity
slows down.
Ball A remains at a constant speed.
Ball C increases its speed and then reduces it back to the
same value as Ball A.
Ball B increase its velocity and stays at that value
through
MFMcGraw
the end of the race.
Revised 1/25/2010
 Instantaneous Speed
Instantaneous speed is the speed at
any instant.
Example:
– When you ride in your car, you may
speed up and slow down.
– Your instantaneous speed is given by
your speedometer.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Speed and Velocity

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Acceleration

Formulated by Galileo
based on his experiments
with inclined planes.

Rate at which velocity

changes over time

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Centripetal Force

Centripetal Force

• Magnitude of
velocity (speed)
is constant.
Centripetal forces are center • Direction of Vel.
seeking forces. They are is changing
experienced, for example,
when an object travels in a
circular motion.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Acceleration
In equation form:
change in velocity
Acceleration 
time interval

Unit of acceleration is unit of velocity / unit of

time.
Example:
• You car’s speed right now is 40 km/h.
• Your car’s speed 5 s later is 45 km/h.
• Your car’s change in speed is 45 – 40 = 5 km/h.
• Your car’s acceleration is 5 km/h/5 s = 1 km/h/s.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Acceleration
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
An automobile is accelerating when it is
A. slowing down to a stop.
B. rounding a curve at a steady speed.
C. Both of the above.
D. Neither of the above.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Acceleration
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
An automobile is accelerating when it is
A. slowing down to a stop.
B. rounding a curve at a steady speed.
C. Both of the above.
D. Neither of the above.

Explanation:
• Change in speed (increase or decrease) is
acceleration, so slowing is acceleration.
• Change in direction is acceleration (even if speed
stays the same), so rounding a curve is acceleration.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Accelerations
Automotive Acceleration (g)
Event typical car sports car F-1 race car large truck
starting 0.3 - 0.5 > 0.9 1.7 < 0.2
braking 0.8 - 1.0 > 1.3 2 ~ 0.6
cornering 0.6 - 1.0 > 2.5 3 ????

Acceleration and the Human Body

a (g) Event
2.9 sneeze
3.5 cough
3.6 crowd jostle
4.1 slap on back
8.1 hop off step
10.1 plop down in chair
60 chest acceleration limit during car crash at 48 km/h with airbag
70 - 100 crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, 1997
150 - 200 head acceleration limit during bicycle crash with helmet
Source: Spine, June 1994

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Acceleration

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Acceleration
Acceleration on Galileo’s Inclined Planes

In which case is the

a.) ball experincing the
largest acceleration?

b.) c.) d.)

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
Which has decreasing acceleration?

a.) b.) c.)

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Which has increasing velocity?

a.) b.) c.)

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Free Fall
Free Fall
How Fast? (Velocity)
How Far? (Distance)
How Quickly “How Fast” Changes? (Accelerations)

Free fall – only the force of gravity is acting on the object

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Gravity
In terms of final velocity at
the end of the motion-
Launching up at 30m/s or
down at –30m/s yields the
same final velocity.
Of course total flight time
is longer for an up launch
than a down launch.
Conservative Force of Gravity
KE to PE to KE
1/2mv2 -> mgh -> 1/2mv2
Just a little look ahead.
MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
Note the symmetry
(Use g= 10 m/s2)
Note the equal time
intervals.
Magnitude of the
descending velocities are
equal to the magnitude of
the ascending velocities.
Directions of the velocities
are OPPOSITE.
Same time to go up to peak
height as it takes to return
to the starting level.
 Free Fall—How Far?
The distance covered by an accelerating
object starting from rest is
Distance  (1/2) x acceleration x time x time

So, under free fall, when acceleration is 10 m/s2,

the distance is
• 5 m/s after 1 s.
• 20 m/s after 2 s.
• 45 m/s after 3 s.
And so on.
MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
What are their velocities after
1 second?
Remember,
velocity has a
magnitude and
a direction.

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

Va = 0 m/s; Va = 5 m/s; Va = -7 m/s

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Summary

Scalar Vector Units

Distance Displacement m

Speed Velocity m/s

(Magn. of
Acceleration (m/s))/s = m/s2
Acceleration)

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010

 Hewitt Warning
The author has a feature called “Next Time
Questions.” These are challenging and thought
provoking questions but sometimes they can be
frustating.
One source of this frustration comes from his habit
of sometimes including effects that were previously
ignored.
A second source comes from his use of examples
where several forces or effects are carefully
balanced and one must predict the affect of
upsetting this balance.
MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010
 Extra Slides

MFMcGraw Revised 1/25/2010