Rectilinear Motion

Jumela F. Sarmiento
Mathematics Department Ateneo de Manila University jumela@math.admu.edu.ph

July 1, 2008

Rectilinear Motion
Rectilinear motion is motion along a straight line.
the up and down motion of yoyo motion of a rocket early in its flight motion of a car

Position, velocity, acceleration

Assume: The object is moving along a coordinate axis. Let s = f(t) be the position of the object on the line at time t . At time t = t1 , s = s1 = f(t1 )

Change in position = s = s - s1 Change in time = t = t - t1

Average velocity VS Instantaneous velocity

s average velocity of the object over the time interval t

s s s1 f (t ) f (t1 ) t t t1 t t1
As t 0 ,
average velocity instantaneous velocity

Average velocity VS Instantaneous velocity

s t

lim t 0
lim t t1

Instantaneous velocity

f (t ) f (t1 ) Instantaneous velocity t t1

f ' (t1 ) Instantaneous velocity at t1

Instantaneous acceleration
At time t = t1 , v = v1 = v(t1 ) Change in velocity = v = v - v1 Change in time = t = t - t1
v average rate of change of velocity of the object t over the time interval

v v v1 v(t ) v(t1 ) t t t1 t t1
As t 0 ,
Average rate of change of velocity Instantaneous rate of change of velocity

Average acceleration VS Instantaneous acceleration

lim t 0
lim t t1

v t

Instantaneous acceleration

v(t ) v(t1 ) Instantaneous acceleration t t1

a(t ) v' (t1 ) Instantaneous acceleration at t1

Summary
s f (t )
Position function Instantaneous velocity at t1 Instantaneous acceleration at t1

ds v f ' (t ) dt
dv d s a 2 f ' ' (t ) dt dt
2

Motion of an object
s>0 s<0 v>0 v<0 The object is to the right of the origin The object is to the left of the origin The object is moving to the right The object is moving to the left

a > 0 Velocity is increasing a < 0 Velocity is decreasing

Example
1. A particle is moving along a horizontal line according to

s(t ) 3t 40 .5t 162 t

3 2

for t in [0,8]. Find the initial position, velocity and acceleration for the object and discuss the motion.

Vertical motion