Motion and Energy

Motion
Motion an objects change
in position relative to a
reference point.
The Earths surface is
used as a common
reference point
A moving object can be
used as a reference
point as well

Speed
Speed is the distance traveled divided by
the time interval during which the motion
occurred.
Normally, objects do not travel at a
constant speed.
Average Speed =total distance (m)
total time (s)

Velocity
Velocity is the speed of an object in a
particular direction.
Imagine two birds leave the same tree at the
same time.
They both fly at 10km/hr for 5 minutes.
Why dont they end up at
the same place?

Velocity
Velocity appears to be very similar to
speed, however, when describing the
velocity of an object you need to
provide a magnitude and a direction.
Magnitude the speed of the object.
Direction the direction in which the
object is moving.
Velocity = total displacement (m)
total time (s)

Speed vs. Velocity

Speed is simply how fast you are travelling
This car is travelling
at a speed of 20m/s

Velocity is speed in a given direction

This car is travelling at a
velocity of 20m/s east

Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate at which velocity
changes over time.
Average acceleration (m/s2) =
final velocity(m/s) starting velocity(m/s)
time taken to change velocity (s)
As velocity increases, so does acceleration
As velocity decreases, so does acceleration
When direction changes, so does
acceleration
When there is a constant velocity, there is

Equations of motions
Acceleration (m/s2) =
final velocity(m/s) starting velocity(m/s)
time taken to change velocity (s)
a = v - u
t
s = (u + v) t
2
s = ut + 1at2
2
v2 = u2 + 2as

Graphs and Equations

Equations are great for describing
idealized situations, but they don't always
cut it.
Sometimes you need a picture to show
what's going on a mathematical picture
called a graphof several sentences.
Graphs are often the best way to convey
descriptions of real world events in a
compact form.
Graphs of motion come in several types
depending on which of the kinematic
quantities (time, displacement, velocity,
acceleration) are assigned to which axis.

Distance Time Graphs

(Understanding and interpreting)

Plotting distance against time can tell

you a lot about a journey. Let's look at
the axis:

Time (s) always runs horizontally (the xaxis).

Distance (m) runs vertically (the y-axis).

Distance Time Graphs

Not moving? How will it look like???
If something is not moving, a horizontal line is
drawn on a distance-time graph (dt-graph).

Time is increasing to the right, but its

distance does not change. It is stationary.
Here both velocity and acceleration is zero.

Distance Time Graphs

Moving? How will it look like???
If something is moving at a steady velocity, it
means we expect the same increase in
distance in a given time:

Time is increasing to the right, and distance

is increasing steadily with time.
It moves at a steady velocity (Zero
acceleration.

Distance Time Graphs

What is the effect of line Steepness
or slope or gradient???

Both the lines below show that each object moved

the same distance, but the steeper yellow line got
there before the other one:

Slope of distance-time graph represents velocity.

A steeper gradient indicates a more distance moved
in a given time. In other words, higher velocity.
Both lines are of constant gradient, so both speeds
are constant but of different value.

Distance Time Graphs

Moving? What if it is not steady???
The line below is curving upwards. This
shows an increase in velocity, since the
gradient is getting steeper:

In other words, in a given time, the

distance the object moves is larger. It is
accelerating.

Distance Time Graphs

Moving? What if it is not steady???
The line below is curving upwards. This
shows an decrease in velocity, since the
gradient is getting lesser:

In other words, in a given time, the

distance the object moves is lesser. It is
decelerating.

Distance Time Graphs (Summary)

Decreasing velocity

Steady velocity

Zero velocity

Velocity Time Graphs

(Understanding and interpreting)

Plotting velocity against time can tell you

a lot about a journey. Let's look at the
axis:

Time(s) always runs horizontally (the xaxis).

Velocity(m/s) runs vertically (the yaxis).

Velocity Time Graphs

Not moving? How will it look like???
If something is not moving, a horizontal
line is drawn on a velocity-time graph (vtgraph).

Time is increasing to the right, but its

velocity remains zero.
Here also velocity is constant but is
always zero.

Velocity Time Graphs

Moving? How will it look like???
If something is moving at a steady
velocity, a horizontal line is drawn on a
velocity-time graph (vt-graph).

Time is increasing to the right, but its

velocity does not change.

Velocity Time Graphs

Moving? How will it look like???

If something is moving with a steady

acceleration/deceleration, it means we expect
the same increase/decrease in velocity in a
given time
Uniform
Acceleration

Uniform
Deceleration

Time is increasing to the right, and velocity is

steadily increasing/decreasing with time.
Moves at a uniform acceleration/deceleration.

Velocity Time Graphs

What is the effect of line Steepness
or slope or gradient???

Both the lines below show that each object moved at

the same velocity, but the steeper yellow line got
there before the other one:

Slope of such graph represents acceleration.

A steeper gradient indicates a more velocity is
gained (more acceleration) in a given time.
Both lines are of constant gradient, so both
accelerations are constant but different.

Velocity Time Graphs

Moving? What if it is not steady???
The line below is curving upwards/downwards.
This shows an increase/decrease in velocity,
since the gradient is getting steeper:
Non
Uniform
accelerat
ion

Non
Uniform
decelera
tion

In other words, in a given time, the velocity

with which the object moves is increasing or
decreasing. It is non-uniform acceleration or
deceleration.

Area Underneath v-t Graph

Area underneath a v-t graph would
get the distance covered.
If you calculate the area underneath a
v-t graph, you would multiply height X
width.
Because height is actually velocity and
width is actually time, area
underneath the graph is equal to
Velocity X time or V-t

Energy

Energy can be defined as the ability to do work

(measured in Joules J ).
Kinetic Energy (K.E. = *Mass*velocity)
The energy due to motion is called kinetic
energy.
Kinetic energy is proportional to mass and
velocity.
Example - moving a skateboard, blowing wind,
motion of pendulum.
Potential Energy (P.E = weight*height = mgh)
Potential Energy is stored energy.

Whats so important about

PE and KE?
We call the sum of PE and KE mechanical
energy.
M.E = K.E + P.E
Mechanical energy is important because it is
conserved (as long as there are no forces, like
friction)
Therefore, if one goes down, the other goes
up by the same amount.
Loss of P.E = Gain of K.E and vice-versa.

Energy Transfers

Energy Transfers

Elastic or Inelastic?

An elastic collision loses no

energy. The deformation on
collision is fully restored.
Eg Billiards balls (hardness of
pool balls, and their tendency
not to stick to one another)

In an inelastic collision,
energy is lost and the
deformation may be
permanent.

In all collisions there is normally a loss of K.E.

More the loss of K.E, more inelastic the collision is.

Car design and safety

To be asafe driveryou need to understand

the factors that affect a car'sstopping
distance.
Primary safety factors like cars road holding,
brakes, steering, handling and above all the
driver help to prevent accidents.
There are secondary safety devices which aid
survival in the event of an accident. These are
as follows Crumple Zones

Present in front and at the back.

Absorbs kinetic energy.
Extends collision time
Reduces decelerating force and potential injury.

Car design and safety

Extensible Seat Belts

Exerts a backward force (of 10000 N) over 0.5 m.

In a car moving at 15 m/s, the effect of not
wearing belt is same as that produced by jumping
off from 12m high.

Air Bags

It inflates and protects from injury by the

steering wheel.

Head restraints

Ensures that if the car is hit from behind, the

head goes forward with the body and not
backwards over the seat.
Prevents damage to the top of the spine.

Falling bodies

All bodies falling freely under the force of

gravity do so with uniform acceleration if
the air resistance is negligible (all bodies fall
at the same rate in vacuum).
This acceleration, also called as acceleration
of free fall, is denoted as g.
Its approximate value is 9.8 m/s but we will
take it as 10 m/s.
If two bodies with different mass are
thrown from the same height in vacuum they
will reach the ground at same time.

Measuring g

Third equation of motion is given by

s = ut + 1at2
2

where s = distance/displacement(m)
t = time taken(s)
u = initial velocity(m/s)(balls starts from rest)
a = g(m/s)(acceleration due to gravity)

s = (0)t + 1gt2
2
g = 2s
t2