KINEMATICS

Info-sheet
- the study of motion without considering the forces and energies involved in producing that motion.

Quantity Symbol Unit Abb.

Displacement s metre m
Initial velocity u metre per second ms-1
Final velocity v metre per second ms-1
Acceleration a metre per second squared ms-2
Time t second s

Displacement, velocity and acceleration are vector quantities. They have magnitude and direction.
Distance and speed are scalar quantities and are the names given to the magnitudes of displacement and
velocity, respectively.
The usual graphical convention for signs is used. Any vector quantity whose direction is vertically
upwards is taken as positive. This means that gravitational acceleration, which acts vertically downwards,
is negative. Unless a question states otherwise, take ‘g’, the gravitational acceleration near the Earth’s
surface to be 10 ms-2 (more accurately it is 9.8 ms-2) If you find your expression reduces to the square
root of a negative quantity, this is probably because you have overlooked the fact that the displacement or
velocity acts downwards and should, therefore, be negative.

Formulae:
distance total displacement s
average speed  , average velocity = , v
time total time t
change in velocity final velocity  initial velocity vu
acceleration = = , a=
time taken time taken t
For uniformly accelerated motion, i.e., constant acceleration (velocity changes uniformly over time),
uv (u  v)
v , and since s = v t , it follows that s = t
2 2
Many problems can be solved using these relationships alone. But other formulae will be derived
involving the five quantites: s, a, t, u, v.

Motion Graphs

Displacement-time (s-t) graphs show time on the x-axis and displacement on the y-axis. The gradient of a
straight line on the s-t graph is equivalent to velocity. A vertical up or down movement on the s-t graph
indicates displacement, with up being a positive (+) displacement and down a negative (–) displacement.

Velocity-time (v-t) graphs show time on the x-axis and velocity on the y-axis. The gradient of a straight
line on the v-t graph is equivalent to acceleration. The area under the shape on a v-t graph is numerically
equal to the distance travelled.
Many kinematics problems can be solved using motion graphs

Equations of motion
s
1. v   s = v t (definition of average velocity)
t
vu
2. a =  v = u + at (definition of acceleration and assuming constant acceleration)
t
uv
3. v  (assuming constant or uniform acceleration)
2
(u  v)
4. s = t (combine Equations 1 and 3)
2
5. s = ut + ½ at2 (make v the subject in Equation 2 and combine with 4)

6. s = vt – ½ at2 (make u the subject in Equation 2 and combine with 4)

7. v2 = u2 +2as (make t the subject in Equation 2 and combine with 4)

If any three of the five quantites – s, a, t, u, v – are known, the appropriate equations can be used to find
the other two unknown quantities.
Equation 2 (v = u + at) can be used to plot a linear graph of motion on a velocity-time graph.
Equation 5 (s = ut + ½ at2) can be used to plot a non-linear graph of motion on a displacement-time graph.
If the acceleration is zero, then Equation 5 becomes simply s = ut which will yield a linear displacement-
time graph.