The Big Picture

Physics 201, Lecture 2

Today s Topics
Kinematics (Chap. 2.1-2.4)
n Position, Displacement (, and distance)
n Time and Time Interval
n Velocity (, and speed)
n Acceleration
*1-Dimension for today, 2,3-D later.
n Expected from Preview
n Definitions: Position, Displacement , distance
n Velocity and speed (average and instantaneous)
n Acceleration
n ...
n

q Physics 201 : Classical Mechanics

q Mechanics: Physics about motion of objects
Mechanics = Kinematics + Dynamics
q Kinematics: to describe a motion
Position, displacement (, and distance)
Time, time interval
Velocity (, and speed)
Acceleration
q Dynamics: to understand (what makes) a motion
Forces and Newton s Laws (core of classical mechanics)
Energy, Momentum, Angular Momentum,...
Today: Basics Kinematics (1-Dimension)

Kinematics: Position and Displacement

q Position: a point in space (1,2,or 3-D)
e.g. x for 1-D, (x,y,z) for 3-D
an object s position can be associated with a time
(x1,t1), (x2,t2), (x3,t3), (x4,t4), ...
q Displacement: change in position of a single (point) object in a time
interval. x x2-x1 in t1t2.
A displacement is always associated with two time points:
a start time (t1) and an end time (t2)
A displacement is a vector (reducible to a signed number in 1-D)
A displacement is defined regardless of the actual path in
between t1 and t2.
(x2 , t2)

e.g. these three trips have the same

displacement for t1 and t2.
(x1, t1)

Displacement: an 1-D example

q Joe s driving pattern

5
1

x1=0, x2=25, x3=20, x4=50, x5=0 km; (t1<t2<t3<t4<t5)

Displacements:
x12 = x2-x1 = 25 km, x23 = x3-x2= -5 km, x34 = x4-x3=30 km,
x45 = x5-x4=-50 km, x14 = x4-x1=50 km,
x15 = x5-x1=0 km !
x14 = x12+ x23+ x34=25+(-5)+30=50 km
x15 = x14+x45= 50 + (-50) = 0 km
*** Distance L15 = | x12| + | x23| + | x34| + | x45| =110 km != x15
(assuming Joe did not change direction within each section)

Distance of travel is not the same as displacement !

Quick Quiz 1

Quick Quiz 2

q If Joe s initial position is known and he has driven 120 km per

odometer reading, can we determine where he is?
Yes
No

q If displacement for any time interval during Joe s trip is known,

can we figure out the total distance he has driven?
Yes
No

Examples: Joe s possible driving pattern:

Drove east straight for 120 km
Drove south straight for 120 km
Drove east for 60 km and west for another 60
Drove in circles for 120 km
...

t2

Distance S = |xi|

S=

dx

! | dx |= ! | dt | dt
t1

Distance of travel is a non-fundamental but derivable quantity.

Generally, distance of travel can not be used to determine final
position reliably(, but a displacement can)

Velocity

Exercise: Reading x-t Graph

x x2 x1
vave
=
t t 2 t1

1 D

x2 x1
t2 t1

CD
vave
=

x (m)

q Average velocity in time interval [t1 , t2]

unit: m/s

* Like displacement, velocity also has a direction (a vector!).

AB
ave

64
=
= 1 m/s
20
6

B
C

BC
vave
=

Instantaneous velocity at time t :

Consider time interval [t, t + t], where t0

( x (t + t ) x (t ))
x dx (t )
v (t ) = lim
= lim

(t + t ) t
dt
t 0
t 0 t

q Two related quantities

Instantaneous speed: S =| v |
Average speed: Save = distance of travel / time spent

After class question (ask your TA if necessary): is S ave =| vave | ?

A
AC
vave
=

86
= 2 m/s
54

AE
vave
=

DE
vave
=

66
= 0 m/s
42

Basic Rules
Straight line constant v
Tangent of line v
Negative tangent negative v
Zero tangent (horizontal) v=0
Steeper tangent larger magnitude

4 8
= 2 m/s
75

E
EF
vave
=

64
= 0.5 m/s
40

44
= 0 m/s
50

24
= 2 m/s
87
FG
vave
=

02
= 0.5 m/s
12 8

G
2

10

12

14

t (s)

Find average velocity (respectively) in segment

AB, BC, CD , DE, EF, FG, AC, AE

Reading Graph: Instantaneous Velocity

x (m)
B

Basic Rules
Tangent instantaneous v
Negative tangent negative v
Zero tangent (horizontal) v=0
Steeper tangent larger speed

vB=0 m/s

Quiz 3: Reading x-t Graph

x (m)
8

vC=- 0 .4m/s

vA=x/t = 1.3 m/s

10

12

14

t (s)

Find the instantaneous velocities at A, B, and C, respectively

Acceleration

10

12

14

t (s)

Quiz: How many zero instantaneous v s can you find in graph?

A: none, B: one, C: two, D: three.

Exercise: Reading v-t Graph

q Average acceleration in time interval [t1 , t2]

v v2 v1
aave
=
t t 2 t1

unit: m/s2

Instantaneous acceleration at time t

Considering time interval [t, t + t], when t0

(v (t + t ) v (t ))
v
dv (t )
a (t ) = lim
= lim

(t + t ) t
dt
t 0
t 0 t

v Like displacement and velocity, acceleration also has a direction.

Tangent of the blue line Average

acceleration between A and B
Tangent of the green line
Instantaneous acceleration at B

Position(x) Time(t) Graph Has Them All

Summary of Concepts
Displacement:
change of position from t1 t2
Velocity:
rate of position change.
Average: x/t
Instantaneous: slope of x vs. t
Acceleration:
rate of velocity change.
Average: v/t
Instantaneous : slope of v vs. t

End-Of-Lecture Quiz 1
q If the average velocity of a car during a trip along a straight road
is positive, is it possible for the instantaneous velocity at some
time during the trip to be negative?
A: Yes
B: No

(Note the similarity in math .)

End-Of-Lecture Quiz 2
q If the velocity of some object is not zero, can its acceleration ever
be zero?
A: Yes
B: No