Chapter 2

Motion in One Dimension

IT
LIM
/h
–60 30km
–50
–40
–30
–20
–10
0
10
20
30
40
50 x(m)
60
IT
LIM
figure 2.1
/h
–60 30km
–50
–40
–30 (a) A pictorial representation of the
–20
–10 motion of a car. The positions of the
0 car at six instants of time are shown
10
20 and labeled.
30
(a) 40
50 x(m)
60
(a)
x (m)
60

40 ∆x v

20 ∆t

0 t

–20

–40
(c)
–60 t (s)
0 10 20 30 40 50
(b) (c)

(b)Agraphicalrepresentation,knownasaposition-
timegraph,ofthecar’smotioninpart(a).Theaveragevelocityvx,avgintheintervalt0tot10sisobtainedfromtheslopeofthestraightl
ineconnectingpointsand.(c)Avelocity–timegraphofthemotionofthecarinpart(a).

(b)Agraphicalrepresentation,knownasaposition-
timegraph,ofthecar’smotioninpart(a).Theaveragevelocityvx,avgintheintervalt0tot10sisobtainedfromtheslopeofthestraightl
ineconnectingpointsand.(c)Avelocity–timegraphofthemotionofthecarinpart(a).
 x (m) 60
60

40

20

0
40
–20

–40

–60 t (s)
0 10 20 30 40 50
(a) (b)

Figure 2.2
(a) Position – time graph for the motion of the car in Active Figure 2.1. (b) An enlargement of the upper left-hand corner of
the graph in part (a) shows how the blue line between positions and approaches the green tangent line as point is
moved closer to point .

vx = 0

vx < 0
F I G U R E 2.3In the position – time graph shown, the velocity is positive at , where
vx > 0 the slope of the tangent line is positive; the velocity is zero at , where the slope of
the tangent line is zero; and the velocity is negative at , where the slope of the
t tangent line is negative.
 x (m)
50
45

40

35

30
Slope = 18 m/s
25

20
15
10

5
0 t (s)
0 1 2 3 4
F I G U R E 2.4
(Example 2.3) Position – time
graph for a particle having an x
coordinate that varies in time according
to x 3t 2. Note that the instantaneous
velocity at t 3.0 s is obtained from the
slope of the green line tangent to the
curve at this point.
 x (m)
10

6
Slope = 4 m/s
4
Slope = –2 m/s
2

0 t (s)

–2

–4
0 1 2 3 4
F I G U R E 2.5 (Example 2.4) Position – time
graph for a particle having an x coordinate
that varies in time according to x 4t
2t 2.
x

∆x
Slope = = vx
xi ∆t

t
F I G U R E 2.6 Position – time graph
for a particle under constant velocity.
The value of the constant velocity is
the slope of the line.
vx
ax

t
FIGURE 2.7 The instantaneous
acceleration can be obtained from the
tC velocity – time graph (a). At each instant
t the acceleration in the ax versus t graph
tA tB tC tA tB
(b) equals the slope of the line tangent to
(a) (b) the vx versus t curve.
 vx vx vx

t t t
(a) (b) (c)
ax ax ax
figure 2.8

(Quick Quiz 2.3) Parts (a), (b), and (c) are velocity – time
graphs of objects in one-dimensional motion. The possible
acceleration – time graphs of each object are shown in t t t
scrambled order in parts (d), (e), and (f). (d) (e) (f )

ti = 0 t f = 2.0 s
vi 30 m/s 15 m/s
vf

F I G U R E 2.9 The velocity of the car decreases from 30 m/s to 15 m/s in a time
interval of 2.0 s.
 vx (m/s)
40

30

Slope = –20 m/s2

20

10

0 t (s)

–10

–20

–30
0 1 2 3 4

FIGURE 2.10 (Example 2.6) The

velocity – time graph for a particle
moving along the x axis according to the
relation vx 40 5t 2. The acceleration
at t 2.0 s is obtained from the slope of
the green tangent line at that time.
 v

(a)

(b)

(c)

Figure 2.11

(a) Motion diagram for a car moving at constant velocity. (b) Motion diagram for a car whose constant acceleration is in the
direction of its velocity. The velocity vector at each instant is indicated by a red arrow, and the constant acceleration vector is
indicated by a violet arrow. (c) Motion diagram for a car whose constant acceleration is in the direction opposite the velocity at each
instant.
 x vx
Slope = vxf Slope = ax
axt
xi vxi vx f
Slope = vxi vx i
t t
0 t 0 t
(a) (b)
ax

Slope = 0 Figure 2.12

ax Graphical representations of a particle

moving along the x axis with constant
t acceleration ax . (a) The position – time
0 graph, (b) the velocity – time graph,
(c) and (c) the acceleration – time graph.
 v x car = 45.0 m/s
a x car = 0
ax trooper = 3.00 m/s 2

tA = –1.00 s tB = 0 tC = ?

F I G U R E 2.13 (Interactive Example 2.8) A speeding car passes a

hidden trooper. The trooper catches up to the car at point .
 a v

(©1993 James Sugar/Black Star)

F I G U R E 2.14 An apple and a feather, released from rest in
a vacuum chamber, fall at the same rate, regardless of their
masses. Ignoring air resistance, all objects fall to the Earth
with the same acceleration of magnitude 9.80 m/s2, as
indicated by the violet arrows in this multiflash
photograph. The velocity of the two objects increases
linearly with time, as indicated by the series of red arrows.
 (George Semple)
F I G U R E 2.15 (Example 2.9)
 t B = 2.04 s
y B = 20.4 m
vy B = 0
2
ay B = –9.80 m/s

tA = 0 t C = 4.08 s
yA = 0 yC = 0
vy A = 20.0 m/s vy C = –20.0 m/s
2
ay A = –9.80 m/s ay C = –9.80 m/s2

t D = 5.00 s
y D = –22.5 m
50.0 m
vy D = –29.0 m/s
ay D = –9.80 m/s2

t E = 5.83 s
y E = –50.0 m
vy E = –37.1 m/s
ay E = –9.80 m/s2
FIGURE 2.16 (Interactive Example 2.10)
Position, velocity, and acceleration at various
instants of time for a freely falling particle
initially thrown upward with a velocity vy
20.0 m/s.
x (m)

10 x (m)

8 12
6
10
4
8
2
6
0 t (s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4
–2
2
–4

–6 t (s)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Figure P2.3 Problems 2.3 and 2.8. Figure P2.5

ax (m/s 2 )

0 t (s)
5 10 15 20

–1

–2

–3

Figure P2.11

vx (m/s)
8
6
4
2
t (s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
–2
–4
–6
–8

Figure P2.14

vx (m/s)

10
8
6
4
2
t (s)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Figure P2.15