Chapter 2
Motion in One Dimension
Dynamics
The branch of physics involving the
motion of an object and the relationship
between that motion and other physics
concepts
Kinematics is a part of dynamics
In kinematics, you are interested in the
description of motion
Not concerned with the cause of the
motion
Quantities in Motion
Any motion involves three concepts
Displacement
Velocity
Acceleration
These concepts can be used to study
objects in motion
Position
Defined in terms of
a frame of
reference
One dimensional,
so generally the x-
or y-axis
Defines a starting
point for the
motion
Displacement
Defined as the change in position
x x x
f i
f stands for final and i stands for initial
May be represented as y if vertical
Units are meters (m) in SI, centimeters
(cm) in cgs or feet (ft) in US Customary
Displacements
Vector and Scalar Quantities
Vector quantities need both magnitude
(size) and direction to completely
describe them
Generally denoted by boldfaced type and
an arrow over the letter
+ or – sign is sufficient for this chapter
Scalar quantities are completely
described by magnitude only
Displacement Isn’t Distance
The displacement of an object is not the
same as the distance it travels
Example: Throw a ball straight up and then
catch it at the same point you released it
The distance is twice the height
The displacement is zero
Speed
The average speed of an object is defined
as the total distance traveled divided by the
total time elapsed
total distance
Average speed
total time
d
v
t
Speed is a scalar quantity
Speed, cont
Average speed totally ignores any
variations in the object’s actual motion
during the trip
The total distance and the total time are
all that is important
SI units are m/s
Velocity
It takes time for an object to undergo a
displacement
The average velocity is rate at which
the displacement occurs
x xf xi
v average
t tf ti
generally use a time interval, so let ti =
0
Velocity continued
Direction will be the same as the
direction of the displacement (time
interval is always positive)
+ or - is sufficient
Units of velocity are m/s (SI), cm/s
(cgs) or ft/s (US Cust.)
Other units may be given in a problem, but
generally will need to be converted to
these
Speed vs. Velocity
Cars on both paths have the same average velocity
since they had the same displacement in the same
time interval
The car on the blue path will have a greater average
speed since the distance it traveled is larger
Graphical Interpretation of
Velocity
Velocity can be determined from a
position-time graph
Average velocity equals the slope of the
line joining the initial and final positions
An object moving with a constant
velocity will have a graph that is a
straight line
Average Velocity, Constant
The straight line
indicates constant
velocity
The slope of the line
is the value of the
average velocity
Average Velocity, Non
Constant
The motion is non-
constant velocity
The average velocity
is the slope of the
blue line joining two
points
Instantaneous Velocity
The limit of the average velocity as the time
interval becomes infinitesimally short, or as
the time interval approaches zero
x
lim
v t 0
t
The instantaneous velocity indicates what is
happening at every point of time
Instantaneous Velocity on a
Graph
The slope of the line tangent to the
position-vs.-time graph is defined to be
the instantaneous velocity at that time
The instantaneous speed is defined as the
magnitude of the instantaneous velocity
Uniform Velocity
Uniform velocity is constant velocity
The instantaneous velocities are always
the same
All the instantaneous velocities will also
equal the average velocity
Acceleration
Changing velocity (non-uniform) means
an acceleration is present
Acceleration is the rate of change of the
velocity
v v f v i
a
t tf ti
Units are m/s² (SI), cm/s² (cgs), and
ft/s² (US Cust)
Average Acceleration
Vector quantity
When the sign of the velocity and the
acceleration are the same (either
positive or negative), then the speed is
increasing
When the sign of the velocity and the
acceleration are in the opposite
directions, the speed is decreasing
Instantaneous and Uniform
Acceleration
The limit of the average acceleration as
the time interval goes to zero
When the instantaneous accelerations
are always the same, the acceleration
will be uniform
The instantaneous accelerations will all be
equal to the average acceleration
Graphical Interpretation of
Acceleration
Average acceleration is the slope of the
line connecting the initial and final
velocities on a velocity-time graph
Instantaneous acceleration is the slope
of the tangent to the curve of the
velocity-time graph
Average Acceleration
Relationship Between
Acceleration and Velocity
Uniform velocity (shown by red arrows
maintaining the same size)
Acceleration equals zero
Relationship Between Velocity
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration are in the same direction
Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain the
same length)
Velocity is increasing (red arrows are getting longer)
Positive velocity and positive acceleration
Relationship Between Velocity
and Acceleration
Acceleration and velocity are in opposite directions
Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain the
same length)
Velocity is decreasing (red arrows are getting shorter)
Velocity is positive and acceleration is negative
Kinematic Equations
Used in situations with uniform
acceleration
v vo at
1
x vt vo v t
2
1 2
x v ot at
2
v 2 vo2 2ax
Notes on the equations
vo vf
x v av erage t t
2
Gives displacement as a function of
velocity and time
Use when you don’t know and aren’t
asked for the acceleration
Notes on the equations
v v o at
Shows velocity as a function of
acceleration and time
Use when you don’t know and aren’t
asked to find the displacement
Graphical Interpretation of the
Equation
Notes on the equations
1 2
x v o t at
2
Gives displacement as a function of
time, velocity and acceleration
Use when you don’t know and aren’t
asked to find the final velocity
Notes on the equations
2 2
v v 2 a x
o
Gives velocity as a function of
acceleration and displacement
Use when you don’t know and aren’t
asked for the time
Problem-Solving Hints
Read the problem
Draw a diagram
Choose a coordinate system, label initial and final
points, indicate a positive direction for velocities
and accelerations
Label all quantities, be sure all the units are
consistent
Convert if necessary
Choose the appropriate kinematic equation
Problem-Solving Hints, cont
Solve for the unknowns
You may have to solve two equations for
two unknowns
Check your results
Estimate and compare
Check units
Example 1
A bicyclist rides her bike at a speed of 10 Km/hr for 25
min, remembers that she forgot something at home she
turns around and pedals at a rate of 12Km/hr back to
her house. If turning around time is ignored what are
the following?
a) The distance she was away from home when she
decided to turn around.
b) The time that it took her to return home after she
remembered that she forgot something.
c) The average speed of the entire trip.
d) The average velocity of the entire trip.
Example 2
A motorist drives south for 45.0 minutes at
75.0 km/h and then stops for 20.0 minutes.
He then continues south, traveling 120 km in
2.50 h. (a) What is his total displacement?
(b) What is his average velocity?
Example 3
A certain horse ran a race with the following times:
1st quarter 24.5s, 2nd quarter 23.5s, 3rd quarter 22.4s
and the 4th quarter time was 24.2s. (a) Find the
average speed during each quarter-mile segment.
(b) Assuming that the horse’s instantaneous speed
at the finish line was the same as the average speed
during the final quarter mile, find the average
acceleration for the entire race. (Hint: Recall that
horses in the race start from rest.)
Example 4
A certain car is capable of accelerating at a
rate of +0.70 m/s2. How long does it take for
this car to go from a speed of 45 mi/h to a
speed of 60 mi/h?
Example 5
Two cars are traveling along a straight line in the
same direction, the lead car at 35.0 m/s and the
other car at 45.0 m/s. At the moment the cars are
50.0 m apart, the lead driver applies the brakes,
causing his car to have an acceleration of –1.50
m/s2. (a) How long does it take for the lead car to
stop? (b) Assuming that the chasing car brakes at
the same time as the lead car, what must be the
chasing car’s minimum negative acceleration so as
not to hit the lead car? (c) How long does it take for
the chasing car to stop?
Example 6
A drag racer starts her car from rest and
accelerates at 10.50 m/s2 for a distance of
440 m. (a) How long did it take the race car
to travel this distance? (b) What is the
speed of the race car at the end of the run?
Example 7
A car traveling in a straight line has a
velocity of +5.0 m/s at some instant. After
4.0 s, its velocity is +8.0 m/s. What is the
car’s average acceleration during the 4.0-s
time interval?
Example 8
a) What is the average
velocity of the object during
the 0 to 4s time interval?
b) What is the instantaneous
velocity of the object at
point A?
c) What is the average
velocity of the object during
the 8 to 12s time interval?
Galileo Galilei
1564 - 1642
Galileo formulated the
laws that govern the
motion of objects in
free fall
Also looked at:
Inclined planes
Relative motion
Thermometers
Pendulum
Free Fall
All objects moving under the influence of
gravity only are said to be in free fall
Free fall does not depend on the object’s original
motion
All objects falling near the earth’s surface fall
with a constant acceleration
The acceleration is called the acceleration due
to gravity, and indicated by g
Elephant and Feather
Acceleration due to Gravity
Symbolized by g
g = -9.80 m/s²
When estimating, use g 10 m/s2
g is always directed downward
toward the center of the earth
Ignoring air resistance and assuming g
doesn’t vary with altitude over short vertical
distances, free fall is constantly accelerated
motion
Free Fall – an object dropped
Initial velocity is zero
Let up be positive
Use the kinematic
equations vo= 0
Generally use y instead
of x since vertical
a=g
Acceleration is g =
-9.80 m/s2
Problem:
A stone is dropped from
rest from the top of a
tall building. After 3.00 s
of free-fall, what is the
displacement y of the
stone?
After 3.00 s of free-fall,
what is the velocity v of
the stone?
1
A rock is dropped from the top of a cliff
and lands at the base of the cliff 3.2s
after it is released. How far did the rock
drop?
Free Fall – an object thrown
downward
a = g = -9.80 m/s2
Initial velocity 0
With upward being
positive, initial
velocity will be
negative
Problem:
A student standing on the top of the science
building on campus throws a water balloon at
his physics instructor. If the initial velocity of
the balloon is -2.3m/s, and it just misses the
instructor and lands on the ground in front of
him 1.2s after it was released from what
height was the balloon released? How fast
was it moving when it struck the ground?
Free Fall -- object thrown
upward
Initial velocity is v=0
upward, so positive
The instantaneous
velocity at the
maximum height is zero
a = g = -9.80 m/s2
everywhere in the
motion
Thrown upward, cont.
The motion may be symmetrical
Then tup = tdown
Then v = -vo
The motion may not be symmetrical
Break the motion into various parts
Generally up and down
Problem:
A football game customarily begins with
a coin toss to determine who kicks off.
The referee tosses the coin up with an
initial speed of 5.00 m/s. In the absence
of air resistance, how high does the coin
go above its point of release? What is
the total time the coin is in the air before
returning to its release point?
Example 14
It is possible to shoot an arrow at a speed as
high as 100 m/s. (a) If friction is neglected,
how high would an arrow launched at this
speed rise if shot straight up? (b) How long
would the arrow be in the air?
Example 15
A ball is thrown vertically upward
with a speed of 35.0 m/s. (a) Where
is the ball 4.00 seconds after it was
released? (b) What is its velocity at
the time? (c) Has it reached its
maximum height yet? Defend your
answer.
Non-symmetrical
Free Fall
Need to divide the
motion into segments
Possibilities include
Upward and downward
portions
The symmetrical portion
back to the release point
and then the non-
symmetrical portion
Example 16
A ball is thrown upward with a velocity of +4m/s
from the edge of a 10m building. a) How long does
it take the ball to reach its maximum height? b)
What is the maximum height of the ball? c) If the
ball just misses the edge of the building on the way
back down how long will the ball be in the air? d)
How fast is the ball moving when it strikes the
ground?
Combination Motions
Example 17
A model rocket is launched straight upward
with an initial speed of 50.0 m/s. It
accelerates with a constant upward
acceleration of 2.00 m/s2 until its engines
stop at an altitude of 150 m. (a) What is the
maximum height reached by the rocket? (b)
How long after lift-off does the rocket reach
its maximum height? (c) How long is the
rocket in the air?
