Chapter 2 Kinematics

2.1 Units and Dimensions

Base Units
SI Base Units Abbreviation Measures Dimension
Meter M Length L
Kilogram Kg Mass M
Second S Time T

Any physical quantity can be written in terms of SI units. Some examples:
Quantity Symbol Units Dimensions
Speed V m/s L/T
Density p Kg/m
3
M/ L
3

Work W Kg. m
3
/ s
2
M L
2
/T
2

Power of ten Prefixes
Prefix Symbol Multiple
Pico p 10
-12

Nano n 10
-9

Micro 10
-6

Milli m 10
-3

Centi cm 10
-2

Kilo k 10
3

Mega M 10
6

Giga G 10
9


2.2 Kinematics
Kinematics is the description of motion in terms of an objects position, velocity, and
acceleration.
Displacement
The displacement of an object is its change in position. Displacement gives the net distance
traveled by the object, which may be less than the total distance. It is a vector that always points
from the objects initial position to its final position, regardless of the path the object took, and
whose magnitude is the net distance traveled by the object. Displacement is a vector, so it takes
direction into account. So if we call the right the (+) direction then the left automatically
becomes the (-) direction. The displacement on a circular path is always zero.
Displacement= (position)= position final - position initial= net distance plus direction
Chapter 2 Kinematics
Velocity
Displacement tells us how much an objects position changes. Velocity tells us how fast an
objects position changes.

Units: m/s
The magnitude of the velocity vector is called the speed which is a scalar, because it does not
have any direction and can never be (-). Velocity is a vector and has both speed and direction.
It is not possible for two cars to have the same velocity and different speed, because velocity is a
vector, which have both speed and direction, so if the velocities are the same then speed and
directions are the same.
Acceleration
Velocity tells us how fast an objects position changes. Acceleration tells us how fast an objects
velocity changes. An objects velocity changes if the speed or the direction changes. For example
an object could be accelerating even if the speed is constant. If a=0 at a certain point, then
whatever velocity there is at that point will stay constant. If acceleration points in the same
direction as the initial velocity, then the objects speed is increasing. If acceleration points in
the opposite direction as the initial velocity, then the objects speed is decreasing.

Units: m/s
2
The direction of a tells v how to change; the following diagram summaries the possibilities:

a in the same direction as v means objects
speed is increasing.


a perpendicular to v means objects speed is
constant.


a in the opposite direction from v means
objects speed is decreasing.

Chapter 2 Kinematics

a at an angle between 0 and 90 to v means
objects speed is increasing and direction of v
is changing.


a at an angle between 90 and 180 to v means
objects speed is decreasing and direction of v
is changing.

2.3 Uniformly Accelerated Motion
In the last section we defined the principle quantities of kinematics: displacement, velocity and
acceleration. In this section we will summarize mathematical relationships between them in the
special, but important case of uniformly accelerated motion in which the objects acceleration, a,
is constant.
THE BIG FIVE

( )
Missing a
Missing d

Missing v

Missing v0

Missing t
Notice that these equations involve five quantities, d, v0, v, a and t, and there are five equations.
Each equation has exactly one of those quantities missing. A quantity is missing from the
problem if it is not given or asked for.
If the object starts from rest then v0 is zero.
2.4 Kinematics with Graphs
Position vs. Time graph
The slope of a position vs. time graph gives the velocity. The flat line on the graph means that
the slope is zero.
Velocity vs. Time graph
The slope of a velocity vs. time graph gives the acceleration. The flat line on the graph means
that the slope is zero.
Chapter 2 Kinematics
The area under a velocity vs. time graph gives the displacement. The area of a square is base x
height (bh). The area of a triangle is

. Divide the area under the graph into components. The

graph below the t axis is (-).
2.5 Free Fall
The Big Five are used in situation where the acceleration is constant. Free Fall describes an
object moving only under the influence of gravity.
Gravitational acceleration near the surface of the earth is 10 m/s
2.
Gravitational acceleration is a
vector, so it has magnitude and direction. Suggestion let the direction of the displacement be the
positive direction in every problem. If the displacement is down, then call down the (+) direction
and use +10 m/s
2
if the displacement is up, then call up the (+) direction (down is the (-)
direction) and use -10 m/s
2

You use the Big Five equation that does not involve the missing quantity.
The free fall acceleration of an object does not depend on its mass (or size or shape), so in the
absence of effects due to air, both objects will hit the ground at the same time regardless of their
weight.
2.6 Projectile Motion

The last section talked involved objects that move along a straight line, either horizontal or
vertical. However if a ball is thrown up at an angle to the ground, the path the ball would follow
(its trajectory) would not be a straight line. Ignoring air resistance the path will be a parabola.
Projectile motion- is the motion of an object, experiencing only the constant downward
acceleration due to gravity.
Because the projectile is experiencing both horizontal and vertical motion well have to analyze
them separately.
Launch angle. o, which is the angle of the initial velocity in terms of the initial launch angle o,
the components (vox, voy) of the initial velocity vector vo are Vox = Vo cos o and Voy = Vo
sin o.


Lets start with Horizontal acceleration. Once the projectile is launched it will no longer
experience a horizontal acceleration, that is (ax) will be zero throughout the projectile flight
Chapter 2 Kinematics
which means that the horizontal velocity will be constant throughout the flight. The horizontal
velocity at any given point will be the same as the initial velocity.
For the vertical motion, we realized that there is acceleration, because the gravitational
acceleration is vertical.
Lets call up the (+) direction and down (-) direction this means that ay= -g
Projectile Motion
Horizontal Motion Vertical Motion
Displacement

()

Velocity

()

()
Acceleration

) (

)

Since the top of the parabola is the turning point and an objects velocity Is always tangent to its
path (whatever the shape of the trajectory), the projectiles velocity will be horizontal at the top
of the parabola. For a projectile moving in a parabolic path, its only the vertical velocity thats
zero at the top the horizontal velocity is still there.
The left and the right side of the parabola are mirror images of each other which means that the
time the projectile takes to reach the top should be the same the time it will take it to reach the
bottom.
The projectiles total flight time will be twice the time required to reach the top.