PHY10 Lesson 2

Motion Along a
Straight Line
 Position, Displacement, and Average Velocity
Consider the motion of a car below.

At time t1 = 1s , the car is at position x1 =19m and At time t2 = 4s ,

the car is at position x2 = 277m.
The displacement of the car is: x  x2  x1  277m 19m  258m
The time interval is: t  t2  t1  4s 1s  3s

x x2  x1
The average velocity of the car is: vav  vav 
t t 2  t1

258m
vav   86m / s
3s
 Graphs of Motion Part 1: Position vs. Time
x (m)

x (m)

x (m)
t (s) t (s) t (s)

The object is at rest. The object is moving The object is moving

with constant velocity in with constant velocity in
the positive direction. the negative direction.
x (m)

x (m)
t (s) t (s)

The object is moving

with increasing velocity The object is moving
(accelerating). with decreasing velocity
(decelerating).
EXAMPLE 1:

(a) average speed

(200m)  (280m) 480m
vave    4.4m / s
 5m / s    4m / s  40s  70s
200m 280m

(b) average velocity

(200m)  (280m)  80m

vave    0.73m / s
 5m / s    4m / s 
200m 280m
40s  70s
 Instantaneous Velocity
instantaneous velocity (v) is the velocity of a body at a specific instant
of time or at any specific point along the path.

instantaneous velocity (v) is the limit of average velocity of a body as

the time interval approaches zero.

x
v(t )  lim
t 0 t

instantaneous velocity (v) is the derivative of displacement with respect

to time.

dx
v (t ) 
dt
EXAMPLE 2:

(a) x(t )  (2.40m / s 2 )t 2  (0.120m / s 3 )t 3

x(0)  (2.40)(0) 2  (0.120)(0) 3  0

x(10)  (2.40)(10) 2  (0.120)(10)3  120m

x2  x1 120m  0
vave    12m / s
t 2  t1 10m  0
EXAMPLE 2:

dx d
(b) v(t )   (2.40t 2  0.120t 3 )  (4.80m / s 2 )t  (0.360m / s 3 )t 2
dt dt
v(0)  (4.80)(0)  (0.360)(0) 2  0
v(5)  (4.80)(5)  (0.360)(5) 2  15m / s
v(10)  (4.80)(10)  (0.360)(10) 2  12m / s

(c) 0  4.80t  0.360t 2 t  13.3s

 Average and Instantaneous Acceleration

acceleration (a) is the time rate of change in velocity.

v v2  v1
average acceleration (aav) aav  
t t 2  t1

instantaneous acceleration (a) is the limit of average acceleration as the

time interval approaches zero.

v dv
a(t )  lim a (t ) 
t 0 t
dt
EXAMPLE 3:

(a) v(t )  (3.00m / s)  (0.100m / s 3 )t 2

v(0)  (3.00m / s)  (0.100m / s 3 )(0) 2  3.00m / s
v(5)  (3.00m / s)  (0.100m / s 3 )(5s) 2  0.500m / s
v  v (3.00m / s )  (0.500m / s)
aave  2 1   0.500m / s 2
t 2  t1 (5s  0)

(b) a(t )  (0.200m / s 3 )t a(0)  (0.200m / s 3 )(0)  0

a(5)  (0.200m / s 3 )(5s )  1.00m / s 2

EXAMPLE 3:

(c)
 Graphs of Motion Part 2: Velocity vs. Time
t (s)
v (m/s)

v (m/s)

v (m/s)
t (s) t (s)

The object is at rest. The object is moving The object is moving

with constant velocity in with constant velocity in
the positive direction. the negative direction.

v (m/s)
v (m/s)

t (s) t (s)

The object is moving

with increasing velocity The object is moving
(uniformly accelerating). with decreasing velocity
(uniformly decelerating).
Graphs of Motion Part 3: Acceleration vs. Time

a (m/s2)

a (m/s2)
t (s) t (s)

The object is moving The object is moving

with constant velocity in with constant velocity in
the positive direction. the negative direction.

a (m/s2)
t (s)
a (m/s2)

t (s)

The object is moving The object is moving

with increasing velocity with decreasing velocity
(uniformly accelerating). (uniformly decelerating).
 Uniformly Accelerated Motion (UAM)

uniformly accelerated motion is motion with constant acceleration.

Equations of Uniformly Accelerated Motion

x
Equation 1: vav  assuming that t0 = 0.
t

vo  v
Equation 2: vav 
2

v  vo
Equation 3: a assuming that t0 = 0.
t
Equations of Uniformly Accelerated Motion
dx x t t
Recall: v
dt
dx  v dt xo
dx   vdt   (vo  at )dt
to to

Equation 4: x  xo  vot  12 at 2 x  vot  12 at 2

dv dx
Recall: a dv  a dt vdv  a dt  adx
dt dt
1  v 2 vo 
2
x 1 v
xo dx  a vo vdv x  xo   
a 2

2 
v  vo2 2
Equation 5: x 
2a
EXAMPLE 4:

GIVEN: x = 70.0m ; t = 7.00 s ; v = 15.0 m/s

FIND: (a) vo and (b) a

(a) x 70m v  vo 15m / s  vo

vav    10.0m / s vav    10.0m / s
t 7s 2 2
vo  2(10m / s)  (15m / s)  5.00m / s

(b) v  vo (15m / s)  (5m / s)

a   1.43m / s 2
t 7s
#5:
#5:
 Free Fall (UAM along the y-axis)
free fall is motion under the action of the force of gravity alone (air
resistance is neglected).
• a freely-falling body has a constant acceleration called the acceleration
due to gravity g = - 9.80 m/s2 (always directed downward).

Equations of Free Fall NOTE: Follow correct sign

y convention. All quantities with
Equation 1: vav  downward direction should have a
t negative sign.
vo  v
Equation 2: vav  downward velocity: - v
2 upward velocity: +v
v  vo downward displacement: - y
Equation 3: g upward displacement: + y
t acceleration: g= -9.80 m/s2
Equation 4: y  vot  12 gt 2
v 2  vo
2
Equation 5: y 
2g
#6:
#7:

ANSWERS:
(a) y1 = 10.1m; v1 = 5.2 m/s and y4 = -18.4 m; v1 =-24.2 m/s

(b) v =±11.3 m/s (c) y =+11.5 m (d) a = g = - 9.8 m/s2

#8
Chapter 02, Problem 015
A particle's position is given by x = 10.0 - 12.00t + 3t2, in which x is in meters and t is
in seconds. (a) What is its velocity at t= 1 s? (b) Is it moving in the positive or
negative direction of x just then? (c) What is its speed just then? (d) Is the speed
increasing or decreasing just then? (Try answering the next two questions without
further calculation.) (e) Is there ever an instant when the velocity is zero? If so, give
the time t; if not, answer "0". (f) Is there a time after t = 3 s when the particle is
moving in the negative direction of x? If so, give the time t; if not, answer "0".
Chapter 02, Problem 017
The position of a particle moving along the x axis is given in centimeters
by x = 9.17 + 1.17 t3, where t is in seconds. Calculate(a) the average
velocity during the time interval t = 2.00 s to t = 3.00 s; (b) the
instantaneous velocity at t = 2.00 s; (c) the instantaneous velocity
at t = 3.00 s; (d) the instantaneous velocity at t = 2.50 s; and (e) the
instantaneous velocity when the particle is midway between its positions
at t = 2.00 s and t = 3.00 s.
Chapter 02, Problem 038
(a) If the maximum acceleration that is tolerable for passengers in a
subway train is 1.74 m/s2 and subway stations are located806 m apart,
what is the maximum speed a subway train can attain between
stations? (b) What is the travel time between stations? (c) If a subway
train stops for 23.0 s at each station, what is the maximum average
speed of the train, from one start-up to the next?
Chapter 02, Problem 040
You are driving toward a traffic signal when it turns yellow. Your speed is
the legal speed limit of v0 = 55 km/h; your best deceleration rate has the
magnitude a = 5.18 m/s2. Your best reaction time to begin braking
is t = 0.75 s. To avoid having the front of your car enter the intersection
after the light turns red, should you brake to a stop or continue to move
at 55 km/h if the distance to the intersection and the duration of the
yellow light are (a) 37 m and 2.9 s, and (b) 32 m and 1.6 s? Give an
answer of brake, continue, either (if either strategy works), or neither (if
neither strategy works and the yellow duration is inappropriate).