KINEMATICS
University of Southeastern Philippines
General Physics Lec
Ernel D. Bagbag
Kinematics - Quantitative description of motion without
reference to its physical causes
(describing how things move)
Scalar (no direction)
Vector (w/ direction)
Distance (d)
Displacement (d)
Change in position
(How far you travel in a given
direction)
How far you travel
Speed (s)
How fast you travel
Velocity (v)
How fast you travel (in a given
direction)
Acceleration (a)
Rate of change of velocity
Reference frame and Position
Reference frame is the physical entity to which
motion or position of an object is being referred
Position refers to the location of an object with
respect to some reference frame
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
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
aav = (vf - vi) / t
vf = vi + aav t
SI unit: m/s/s = m/s2
Note: if the time intervals are very small we call these quantities instantaneous
Sample problem 1: Speed and Velocity
Every morning, you jog around a 250 m track four times in 30
minutes. What is your (a) average speed and (b) average
velocity?
a. Total distance you jogged is : 4 X 250 m = 1,000 m, thus,
ave. speed = d/ t , 1,000 / 1800 s
= 0.6 m/s
b. You have no resultant displacement since you are backzero
to
where you started. Therefore, your average velocity is =
Sample problem 2
A car moving at constant speed travels 30 m in 5 s. (a) what is the
speed of the car? (b) How far will the object move in 10 s?
Solution:
given: t = 5 s, d= 30 m at constant speed6
(a) s = d/t , 30/5 = 6 m/s
(b) s= d/t, 6 m/s = d / 10 s
d = (6 m/s)(10s)
= 60 m
Acceleration
Change in velocity over time.
When does an object is accelerating?
- When it is moving with changing speed
- When moving with constant speed but with changing
direction
- When moving with changing speed as well as changing
direction
Sample problem 1: Acceleration
A Nissan Sentra is stopped at a traffic light. When the light turns
green, the driver accelerates so that the cars speedometer
reads 10 m/s after 5 s. What is the cars acceleration assuming
it is constant?
Solution:
given: Vi = 0 , Vf = 10 m/s at t = 5 s,
a = Vf Vi / t , 10 m/s 0 m/s / 5
= 2 m/s2
Using Split Times!
Position (m)
0-5
Split Time (s) 1.6
Av. Velocity
(m/s)
3.1
5-10 10-15 1520
20-25
2.4
4.0
2.1
3.0
1.7
3.5
1.4
1.25
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!!
More examples! Practice makes perfect right?
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 average velocity
for each run.
Answer: 339.5 m/s
Answer: - 342.7 m/s
Determine the average acceleration of the plane.
v = 260 km/h
t = 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
average velocity of the object.
2. The slope of a v-t graph at any time tells you the
average 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
30
20
acceleration (m/s)
velocity (m/s)
40
position (m)
14
12
10
8
6
4
10
2
0
0
0
0
0
time (s)
On the d-t graph at any point in
time
vav = d / t
vav = (50 - 0)m / (5 - 0)s
vav = 10 m/s
The slope is constant on this graph
so the velocity is constant
time (s)
On the v-t graph at any point in
time aav = vf - vi / t
aav = (10 - 10)m/s / (5 - 0)s
aav = 0 m/s2
Looking at the area between the
line and the x-axis.
Area of rectangle = b x h
Area = 5s x 10 m/s = 50 m
Which is of course displacement
time (s)
On the a-t graph the area between
the line and the x-axis is.
Area of rectangle = b x h
Area = 5s x 0 m/s2 = 0 m/s
The area thus represents.
v = aav t
Change in velocity
Changing Motion
60
60
25
25
50
50
velocity (m/s)
velocity (m/s)
acceleration
acceleration (m/s/s)
(m/s/s)
20
20
40
40
position
position(m)
(m)
15
15
30
30
10
10
20
20
10
55
10
5
4
3
2
0
0
-10 0
1
1
00
00
0
11
22
time
time (s)
(s)
On the d-t graph at any point in
time
vav = d / t
The slope is constantly increasing
on this graph so the velocity is
increasing at a constant rate
The slope of a tangent line drawn
at a point on the curve will tell you
the instantaneous velocity at this
position
33
44
55
time
time(s)
(s)
On the v-t graph at any point in
time aav = vf - vi / t
aav = (20 - 0)m/s / (5 - 0)s
aav = 4 m/s2
Looking at the area between the
line and the x-axis.
Area of triangle = 1/2 (b x h)
Area = 1/2 (5s x 20 m/s) = 50 m
Which is of course displacement
66
time (s)
On the a-t graph the area between
the line and the x-axis is.
Area of rectangle = b x h
Area = 5s x 4 m/s2 = 20 m/s
The area thus represents.
Change in velocity
To determine the velocity at any point in time, you
need to find the slope of the distance-time graph.
The velocity at 2s is p/t = (18m - 2m)/ (3s - 1s) = 8m/s
Slope between 1s and 3s
shows the velocity at 2s
25
60
50
20
40
15
30
10
20
10
0
0
0
0
-10
time (s)
time (s)
The acceleration is given by the slope of the
velocity-time graph. Therefore:
a = v / t = 20m/s / 5s = 4m/s2
Example Problem
A 2nd year BS Economics student is late for the PUJ. 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.
dtotal=d1+d2+d3+d4+d5
+eastwest
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
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
df = di + (vi + vf) /2 t
or
but
d = vi t + 1/2 aavt2
t = (vf - vi ) / aav
df = di + (vi + vf) /2 (vf - vi) /aav
d = (vi + vf) /2 (vf - vi) /aav
and
vf2 = vi2 + 2aav d
So
or
d = (vf2 - vi2 ) /2aav
2 aav d = vf2 - vi2
2
1
df di vi t
aavt
2
A = HB
df d i vi t 1 aavtt
2
df d i vi t 1 vt
2
A=1/2HB
Sample problem
A racer accelerates from rest at a constant rate of 2.0
m/s/s. How fast will the racer be going at the end of 6.0
s? (b) How far has the racer travelled during this time?
Solution:
given: vi = 0
t = 6.0 s
vf = ?
df = ?
(a) Using equation a = Vf Vi / t, 2.0 m/s/s = Vf 0 / 6.0
s
Vf = 0 + (2.0 m/s/s)(6.0 s)
= 12 m/s
(b) df = vi t + at2, df = 0(6.0) + (2.0m/s/s )(6.0)2
= 36 m
A car has uniformly accelerated from rest to a speed of
25 m/s after travelling 75 m. What is its acceleration?
Solution:
given: Vi = 0, Vf = 25 m/s, df = 75 m
2ad = vf2 - vi2 , 2a(75m) = 25 (m/s)2 0
a = 4.2 m/s2
