Dynamics MDB 2043

Rectilinear Kinematics: Erratic Motion

Guided Learning Activity

May 2016 Semester

Lesson Outcomes
At the end of this lecture you should be able to:

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Determine position, velocity, and acceleration of a

particle using graphs.

Example #1
Given: The s-t graph for a sports car moving along a straight road.
Find: The v-t graph and a-t graph over the time interval shown.

What is your plan of attack for the problem?

EXAMPLE #1 (continued)
Solution: The v-t graph can be constructed by finding the slope
of the s-t graph at key points. What are those?
when 0 < t < 5 s;

v0-5 = ds/dt = d(3t2)/dt = 6 t m/s

when 5 < t < 10 s; v5-10 = ds/dt = d(30t75)/dt = 30 m/s

v(m/s)
v-t graph
30

t(s)
5

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10

Example #1 (continued)
Similarly, the a-t graph can be constructed by finding the slope at various points
along the v-t graph.
when 0 < t < 5 s;

a0-5 = dv/dt = d(6t)/dt = 6 m/s2

when 5 < t < 10 s; a5-10 = dv/dt = d(30)/dt = 0 m/s2

a-t graph

a(m/s2)
6

t(s)
5

10

Example #2

Given: The v-t graph shown.

Find: The a-t graph, average
speed, and distance
traveled for the 0 - 90 s
interval.
Plan:
Find slopes of the v-t curve and draw the a-t graph.
Find the area under the curve. It is the distance traveled.
Finally, calculate average speed (using basic definitions!).

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Example #2 (continued)
Solution:

Find the at graph:

For 0 t 30

a = dv/dt = 1.0 m/s

For 30 t 90

a = dv/dt = -0.5 m/s

a(m/s)

a-t graph

1
30

90 t(s)

-0.5

Example #2 (continued)
Now find the distance traveled:
Ds0-30 = v dt = (1/2) (30)2 = 450 m
Ds30-90 = v dt
= (1/2) (-0.5)(90)2 + 45(90) (1/2) (-0.5)(30)2 45(30)
= 900 m
s0-90 = 450 + 900 = 1350 m
vavg(0-90) = total distance / time
= 1350 / 90
= 15 m/s

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Example #3
A motorcycle starts from rest and travels on a straight road with a constant
acceleration of 5 m/s2 for 8 sec, after which it maintains a constant speed for 2
sec. Finally it decelerates at 7 m/s2 until it stops. Plot a-t, v-t diagrams for the
entire motion.Determine the total distance travelled.
a (m/s2)

Sketch a-t diagram from the known accelerations, thus

5 (0 t 8 s )

a 0 (8 t 10 s )
7
(10 t t ' )

(segment I)

t (s)

(segment II)

(segment III)

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a-t Diagram

Since dv=adt, the v-t diagram is determined by integrating

the straight line segments of a-t diagram. Using the initial
condition t=0, v=0 for segment I, we have

0 t 8s

dv

5 dt

t' (=15.71)

10

v 5t

When t =8 s, v =58= 40m/s. Using this as the initial condition

for segment II, thus

8 t 10 s

40

dv

0 dt

v 40m / s

Similarly, for segment III

10 t t '

40

dv

10

( 7 ) dt

v 7t 110
How can you determine t?

When v=0 (i.e. motorcycle stops)

0 7 t '110

t ' 15 . 71 s

v (m/s)
40

Thus, the velocity as the function of time can

be expressed as

s1

s2
8

5t
(0 t 8s )

v
40 ( 8 t 10 s )
7 t 110 (10 t 15.71s )

s3
10

t (s)
15.71

v-t Diagram

The total distance travelled (using the area under v-t diagram)

s s1 s 2 s 3 8 40 2 40 5.71 40 354 .2 m
2

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Example #4
A test projectile is fired horizontally into a viscous liquid with a velocity
v0.The retarding force is proportional to the square of the velocity, so
that the acceleration becomes a=-kv2. Derive expressions for distance
D travelling in the liquid and the corresponding time t required to reduce
the velocity to v0/2.Neglect any vertical motion.
Note the acceleration a is non-constant.

vdv ads kv 2 ds

Using

ds

v0
2
v0

0
vdv
dv
2
2
v0 kv
kv

v0
v0
1
ln v 2
2 ln 2 0 .693
D

ln

k
v0
k
k
k v0
Using

a
v0
2
v0

dv
kv 2
dt

dv

kv 2

v0

1 1 2
1
t
k v v0
kv 0

dt

Example #5
ax (m/s2)
The acceleration of a particle which moves in the
positive s-direction varies with its position as
0.4
shown. If the velocity of the particle is 0.8 m/s
when s=0, determine the velocities v of the particle 0.2
when s=0.6 and 1.4 m.

Using

ads

v0

v
v v
vdv
2
2 v0

2
0

0.4 0.6 0.8

s (m)
1.2 1.4

For x=0.6m

v 02 2

0.6

ads

0 .8 2 2 (0 .4 0 .4 ) ( 0 .3 0 .4 ) 0 .2 1 .05 m / s
2

Area under ax-x curve

(0x 0.6)
For x=1.4m
1.4
1

v v02 2 ads 0.8 2 2 (0.4 0.4) ( 0.2 0.4) 0.4 0.4 0.2 0 1.17 m / s
0
2

Area under ax-x curve

(0x 1.4)

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Where v0=0.8 m/s

Example #6
The v-s diagram for a testing vehicle travelling on a v (m/s)
straight road is shown. Determine the acceleration
of the vehicle at s=50 m and s=150 m. Draw the
8
a-s diagram.
s (m)
Since the equations for segments of v-s diagram are given,
we can use ads=vdv to determine a-s diagram.

0 s 100 m
av

100

v 0.08 s

dv
d
( 0 .08 s )
( 0 .08 s ) 0 . 0064 s
ds
ds

200

a (m/s2)
0.64

100 s 200 m v 0.08 s 16

100
a ( 0 .08 s 16 )

When s=50 m, then

200 s (m)

d
( 0 . 08 s 16 ) 0 . 0064 s 1 . 28
ds
-0.64

a 0.0064 50 0.32m / s2 (acceleration in segment I)

2
When s=150 m, then a 0.0064 150 1.28 0.32m / s (deceleration in segment II)

Summary Questions
1. The slope of a v-t graph at any instant represents instantaneous
A) velocity.

B) acceleration.

C) position.

D) jerk.

2. Displacement of a particle in a given time interval equals the

area under the ___ graph during that time.

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A) a-t

B) a-s

C) v-t

D) s-t

Summary Questions (continued)

3. If a particle starts from rest and
accelerates according to the graph
shown, the particles velocity at
t = 20 s is
A) 200 m/s

B) 100 m/s

C) 0

D) 20 m/s

4. The particle in Problem 3 stops moving at t = _______.

A) 10 s

B) 20 s

C) 30 s

D) 40 s

Summary Questions (continued)

5. If a car has the velocity curve shown, determine the time t
necessary for the car to travel 100 meters. v
A) 8 s

B) 4 s

C) 10 s

D) 6 s

75

6s

6. Select the correct a-t graph for the velocity curve shown.
a

a
t

A)

C)

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B)

a
t

D)

t
t

References:

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R.C. Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics,

SI 13th Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2012.