Kinematics

• Describes motion while ignoring the

Chapter 2 agents that caused the motion
• For now, will consider motion in one
dimension
Motion in One Dimension • Along a straight line
• Will use the particle model
• A particle is a point-like object, has mass
but infinitesimal size

Position Position-Time Graph

• Defined in terms of a • The position-time
frame of reference graph shows the
• One dimensional, so motion of the
generally the x- or y-
axis particle (car)
• The object’s position • The smooth curve is
is its location with a guess as to what
respect to the frame happened between
of reference the data points

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Displacement Vectors and Scalars
• Defined as the change in position • Vector quantities need both magnitude (size
during some time interval or numerical value) and direction to
completely describe them
• Represented as Δx
• Ex: displacement
Δx = xf - xi • Will use + and – signs to indicate vector directions
• SSI units are meters (m) Δx can be positive • Scalar quantities are completely described by
or negative magnitude only
• Different than distance – the length of a • Ex: distance
path followed by a particle

Average Velocity Average Speed

• The average velocity is rate at which
the displacement occurs
• The dimensions are length / time [L/T]
• The SI units are m/s
• Is also the slope of the line in the
position – time graph
• Speed is a scalar quantity
• same units as velocity
• total distance / total time
• The average speed is not (necessarily)
the magnitude of the average velocity

2
Ch 2: Problem 4
• A particle moves according to the
equation x = 10 t2 where x is in meters
and t is in seconds.
(a) Find the average velocity for the
time interval from 2.00 s to 3.00 s.
Instantaneous Velocity
• The limit of the average velocity as the
time interval becomes infinitesimally
short, or as the time interval
approaches zero
• The instantaneous velocity indicates
what is happening at every point of time

Instantaneous Velocity,
equations Instantaneous Velocity, graph
• The general equation for instantaneous • The instantaneous
velocity is the slope
velocity is of the line tangent to
the x vs. t curve
• This would be the
green line
• The instantaneous velocity can be • The blue lines show
positive, negative, or zero that as Δt gets
smaller, they
approach the green
line

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Instantaneous Speed
• The instantaneous speed is the
magnitude of the instantaneous velocity
• Remember that the average speed is
not the magnitude of the average
velocity
Ch 2: Problem 8
• A position-time graph for a
particle moving along the x
axis is shown.
(a) Find the average velocity
in the time interval t=1.50 s to
t=4.00 s.
(b) Determine the
instantaneous velocity at
t=2.00 s by measuring the
slope of the tangent line
shown in the graph.
(c) At what value of t is the
velocity zero?

Average Acceleration Instantaneous Acceleration

• Acceleration is the rate of change of the • The instantaneous acceleration is the limit of
velocity the average acceleration as Δt approaches 0

• Dimensions are L/T2

• SI units are m/s2 • Acceleration is curvature of position-time
graph

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Instantaneous Acceleration --
graph Ch 2: Probem 11
• The slope of the • A 50.0-g superball traveling at 25.0 m/s
velocity vs. time graph
is the acceleration bounces off a brick wall and rebounds
• The green line at 22.0 m/s. A high-speed camera
represents the records this event. If the ball is in
instantaneous contact with the wall for 3.50 ms, what
acceleration
• The blue line is the
is the magnitude of the average
average acceleration acceleration during this time interval?

Acceleration and Velocity, 1 Acceleration and Velocity, 2

• When an object’s velocity and
acceleration are in the same direction,
the object is speeding up
• When an object’s velocity and
acceleration are in the opposite • The car is moving with constant positive velocity
direction, the object is slowing down (shown by red arrows maintaining the same size)
• Acceleration equals zero

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Acceleration and Velocity, 3
• Velocity and acceleration are in the same direction
• Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain the
same length)
• Velocity is increasing (red arrows are getting longer)
• This shows positive acceleration and positive velocity
Kinematic Equations --
summary
Acceleration and Velocity, 4
• Acceleration and velocity are in opposite directions
• Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain the
same length)
• Velocity is decreasing (red arrows are getting shorter)
• Positive velocity and negative acceleration
Ch 2: Problem 19
• Jules Verne in 1865 suggested sending
people to the Moon by firing a space capsule
from a 220-m-long cannon with a launch
speed of 10.97 km/s. What would have beent
he unrealistically large acceleration
experienced by the space travelers during
launch?
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 Graphical Look at Motion –
Ch 2: Problem 20 displacement – time curve
• A truck covers 40.0 m in 8.50 s while • The slope of the
smoothly slowing down to a final speed curve is the velocity
of 2.80 m/s. (a) Find its original speed. • The curved line
(b) Find its acceleration. indicates the velocity
is changing
• Therefore, there is
an acceleration

Graphical Look at Motion – Graphical Look at Motion –

velocity – time curve acceleration – time curve
• The slope gives the • The zero slope
acceleration indicates a constant
• The straight line acceleration
indicates a constant
acceleration

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Ch 2: Problem 15
• A particle moves along the x axis
according to the equation
x = 2.00 + 3.00 t - 1.00 t2
where x is in meters and t is in seconds.
At t=3.00 s, find
(a) the position of a particle,
(b) its velocity,
(c) its acceleration.