motion, force, and energy

description of motion
(position, velocity, acceleration)

causes of changes in state of motion

(force, energy)
When do you say that an
object is in motion?
 change in position of a body with respect to a frame of
reference

location of a body with respect to a

frame of reference

a coordinate system/space
• Is the magnitude of the displacement always equal to the magnitude of
the distance?
• Is the magnitude of the velocity always equal to the speed of the body?
• Is the magnitude of the average velocity always equal to the average
speed?
• Is the magnitude of the instantaneous velocity always equal to the
instantaneous speed?
• If the speed is constant, does it follow that the velocity is also constant?
• If the velocity is constant, does it follow that the speed is also constant?
• Can a slow moving object have an acceleration that is equal to that of a
fast moving object?
• Can the acceleration of an object be negative if the velocity is positive
and vice versa?
• Can the velocity and acceleration be both positive? Both negative?
• Can an object be increasing or decreasing in speed if its acceleration is
constant?
the TOTAL LENGTH of the PATH taken by the body as it
moves from the initial to the final position

STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE, together with the DIRECTION

OF TRAVEL, from the initial to the final position
• What is the distance traveled by the stickman if he were to move from point
A to C? What is his displacement?
• What is the distance traveled by the stickman if he were to move from point
C to D? What is his displacement?
the ratio of the distance traveled to the time of travel

the ratio of the displacement to the time of travel; the rate

of change of position with respect to time
the ratio of the total distance traveled and the total time of
travel

the ratio of the displacement to the time of travel

• If the stickman travels from point A to

B for 1 hour, from B to C for 2 hours,
and from C to D for another hour, what
is his average speed? His average
velocity?
Suppose a drag racer drives her dragster along a straight track. Suppose
that 1.0 s after the start of the race, the front of the dragster is at point
P1, 19 m from the origin O, and 4.0 s after the start, it is at point P2, 277 m
from the origin.
x-t graph shows the dragster’s position as a function of time
the distance traveled over a very short period of time

the displacement over a very short period of time

 the distance traveled over a very short period of time

the displacement over a very short period of time

The magnitude of the instantaneous velocity is always equal to the

instantaneous speed because in a very short period of time, the
distinction between the distance and the displacement vanishes.
SAMPLE PROBLEM
A cheetah is crouched 20.0 m to the east of an observer’s vehicle. At t=0s, the cheetah
charges an antelope and begins to run along a straight line. During the first 2.0 s of the
attack, the cheetah’s coordinate varies with the time according to the equation 𝑥(𝑡) =
𝑚
20 𝑚 + 5.0 2 𝑡 2 . (a) Find the displacement of the cheetah between t1=1.0 s and
𝑠
t2=2.0 s. (b) Find the average velocity during the same time interval. (c) Find the
instantaneous velocity at t=1.0s.
SAMPLE PROBLEM

A car is stopped at a traffic light. It then travels along a straight road so that its distance
𝑚 𝑚
from the light is given by 𝑥 𝑡 = 2.40 2 𝑡 − 0.120 3 𝑡 3 . (a) Calculate the
2
𝑠 𝑠
average velocity of the car for the time interval 𝑡 = 0 to 𝑡 = 10.0 𝑠. (b)
Calculate the instantaneous velocity at 𝑡 = 5.0 𝑠 and 𝑡 = 10.0 𝑠.
 x (m) 0 2 4 6
t (s) 0 1 2 3

• How will you compare the distances traveled for each time interval?
• How will you compare the speeds for each time interval?

motion at a constant speed; equal distances in

equal time intervals
 the rate of change in the velocity of a body with respect to
time

Tell in which of the following situations is

the body accelerating:
• a car traveling at a steady speed of 20 A body accelerates if there’s a
km/h change in:
• a fast moving car that suddenly stops  speed
• a car rounding a curve at a steady  direction
speed of 30 km/h  both speed and direction
• a car that speeds up after turning
around a corner
 v increases when velocity
and acceleration are parallel
v decreases when velocity and
For Δt= 1s, acceleration are antiparallel

Case 1 Case 3
V = 2m/s V = 4m/s V = -2m/s V = -4m/s
i f f i

a = 2m/s2 a = 2m/s2

Case 2 Case 4
V = 4m/s V = 2m/s V = -4m/s V = -2m/s
i f f i

a = -2m/s2 a = -2m/s2
SAMPLE PROBLEM
1. Suppose the velocity of the car at any time t is given by the equation:
𝑚 𝑚 2
𝑣(𝑡) = 60 + 0.50 3 𝑡
𝑠 𝑠
(a) Find the acceleration in the time interval between t1=1.0 s and t2=3.0 s.
(b) Find the instantaneous acceleration at t=1.0s.

2. A turtle crawls along a straight line, along the positive x-axis. The equation for
the turtle’s position as a function of time is 𝑥 𝑡 = 50.0 𝑐𝑚 +
𝑐𝑚 𝑐𝑚
2.00 𝑡 − 0.0625 2 𝑡 2 . (a) Find the turtle’s initial position,
𝑠 𝑠
velocity and acceleration. (b) At what time t is the velocity of the turtle zero?
motion with constant acceleration

𝑣𝑖 + 𝑣
Δ𝑥 = 𝑡
2
𝑣 = 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑎𝑡
1 2
Δ𝑥 = 𝑣𝑖 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡
2
𝑣 2 = 𝑣𝑖2 + 2𝑎Δ𝑥
SAMPLE PROBLEM
A motorcyclist heading east through a city accelerates after he passes the
signpost marking the city limits. His acceleration is a constant 4.0 m/s2. At t=0,
he is 5.0 m east of the signpost moving east at 15 m/s. (a) Find his position and
velocity at t=2.0s. (b) Where is the motorcyclist when his velocity is 25 m/s?
SAMPLE PROBLEM

An airplane travels 2800 m down the runway before taking off. If it starts from
rest, moves at a constant acceleration, and is airborne in 8.0 s, what is its take-
off speed?
SAMPLE PROBLEM

How long does it take a car to cross a 30.0-m

wide intersection after the light turns green if
it accelerates from rest at a constant rate of
2.00 m/s2?
SEATWORK

1. An antelope running with constant acceleration covers a distance between two

points, 70.0 m apart, in 4.00 s. Its speed as it passes the second point is 15.0
m/s. What is its acceleration?
2. A motorcycle traveling with constant acceleration of 2.00 m/s2 crosses a 100.0-
m long bridge in 4.23 s. What is its final velocity?
3. The fastest measured pitched baseball left the pitcher’s hand at a speed 0f 45.0
m/s. If the pitcher’s hand was in contact with the ball over a distance of 1.50 m
and produced a constant acceleration, (a) what acceleration did he give the ball
and (b) how much time did it take him to pitch it?