KINEMATICS

Dale Gary

NJIT Physics Department

Motion along a straight line
• Motion
• Position and displacement
• Average velocity and average speed
• Instantaneous velocity and speed
• Acceleration
• Constant acceleration: A special case
• Free fall acceleration
 Motion
• Everything moves! Motion is
one of the main topics in
Physics I
• In the spirit of taking things
apart for study, then putting
them back together, we will
LAX
first consider only motion
along a straight line.
• Simplification: Consider a Newark
moving object as a particle,
i.e. it moves like a particle—a
“point object”

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

4 Basic Quantities in Kinematics

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

One Dimensional Position x
• Motion can be defined as the change of position over time.
• How can we represent position along a straight line?
• Position definition:
• Defines a starting point: origin (x = 0), x relative to origin
• Direction: positive (right or up), negative (left or down)
• It depends on time: t = 0 (start clock), x(t=0) does not have to be
zero.
• Position has units of [Length]: meters.

x = + 2.5 m

x=-3m

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Vector and Scalar
• A vector quantity is characterized by having both a magnitude
and a direction.
• Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, Force …
• Denoted in boldface type v , or
a , with
F ... an arrow over the top .
  
v , a , F ...has magnitude, but no direction.
• A scalar quantity
• Distance, Mass, Temperature, Time …
• For motion along a straight line, the direction is represented
simply by + and – signs.
•  sign: Right or Up.
•  sign: Left or Down.
• 1-D motion can be thought of as a
component of 2-D and 3-D motions.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Quantities in Motion
• Any motion involves three concepts
• Displacement
• Velocity
• Acceleration
• These concepts can be used to study objects in
motion.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Displacement
• Displacement is a change of position in time.
• Displacement: x  x f (t f )  xi (ti )
• f stands for final and i stands for initial.
• It is a vector quantity.
• It has both magnitude and direction:  or  sign
• It has units of [length]: meters.x (t ) = + 2.5 m
1 1
x2 (t2) = - 2.0 m
Δx = -2.0 m - 2.5 m = -4.5 m
x1 (t1) = - 3.0 m
x2 (t2) = + 1.0 m
Δx = +1.0 m + 3.0 m = +4.0 m

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Distance and Position-time graph

• Displacement in space
• From A to B: Δx = xB – xA = 52 m – 30 m = 22 m
• From A to C: Δx = xc – xA = 38 m – 30 m = 8 m
• Distance is the length of a path followed by a particle
• from A to B: d = |xB – xA| = |52 m – 30 m| = 22 m
• from A to C: d = |xB – xA|+ |xC – xB| = 22 m + |38 m – 52 m| = 36 m
• Displacement is not Distance.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Velocity
• Velocity is the rate of change of position.
• Velocity is a vector quantity.
• Velocity has both magnitude and direction.
displacement
• Velocity has a unit of [length/time]: meter/second.
distance
• We will be concerned with three quantities, defined as:
• Average velocity x x f  xi
vavg  
t t
• Average speed
total distance
savg 
t
• Instantaneous
velocity x dx
v  lim 
t  0  t dt

displacement

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Average Velocity
• Average velocity
x x f  xi
vavg  
t t
is the slope of the line segment
between end points on a graph.
• Dimensions: length/time (L/T) [m/s].
• SI unit: m/s.
• It is a vector (i.e. is signed), and
displacement direction sets its sign.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Average Speed
• Average speed
total distance
savg 
t
• Dimension: length/time, [m/s].
• Scalar: No direction involved.
• Not necessarily close to Vavg:
• Savg = (6m + 6m)/(3s+3s) = 2 m/s
• Vavg = (0 m)/(3s+3s) = 0 m/s

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

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. It is a
vector quantity.
• An object moving with a
constant velocity will have a
graph that is a straight line.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Instantaneous Velocity
• Instantaneous means “at some given instant”. The instantaneous
velocity indicates what is happening at every point of time.
• Limiting process:
• Chords approach the tangent as Δt => 0
• Slope measure rate of change of position
• Instantaneous velocity:
• It is a vector quantity. x dx
v  lim
• Dimension: length/time (L/T), [m/s]. 
t  0  t dt
• It is the slope of the tangent line to x(t).
• Instantaneous velocity v(t) is a function of time.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Uniform Velocity
• Uniform velocity is the special case of constant velocity
• In this case, instantaneous velocities are always the same, all
the instantaneous
v 
x x  x

f velocities will also equal the average
i

velocity t t
x

• Begin with then x  x  v t

f i x

Note: we are plotting

x v
velocity vs. time
x(t)
v(t)
xf vx

xi
0 t 0 t
ti tf

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Average Acceleration
• Changing velocity (non-uniform) means an acceleration is
present.
• Acceleration isv thev
rate of change of velocity.
v f i
a  
• Accelerationt ist a tvector quantity.
avg
f i

• Acceleration has both magnitude and direction.

• Acceleration has a dimensions of length/time2: [m/s2].
• Definition:
• Average acceleration

v dv d dx d 2 v
a  lim   
t 0 t dt dt dt dt 2

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Average Acceleration Note: we are plotting
• Average acceleration velocity vs. time
v v f  vi
aavg  
t t f  ti
• Velocity as a function of time
v f (t )  vi  aavg t

• It is tempting to call a negative acceleration a “deceleration,” but note:

• 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
• Average acceleration is the slope of the line connecting the initial and
final velocities on a velocity-time graph

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Instantaneous and Uniform Acceleration
• The limit of the average acceleration as the time interval goes
to zero v dv d dx d 2v
a  lim   
t 0 t dt dt dt dt 2
• When the instantaneous accelerations are always the same,
the acceleration will be uniform. The instantaneous
acceleration will be equal to the average acceleration
• Instantaneous acceleration is the
slope of the tangent to the curve
of the velocity-time graph

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Relationship between Acceleration and Velocity
(First Stage)
• Velocity and acceleration are in the same
direction
• Acceleration
v (t )  is
f uniform (blue arrows
v  at
i

maintain the same length)

• Velocity is increasing (red arrows are
getting longer)
• Positive velocity and positive acceleration

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Relationship between Acceleration and
Velocity (Second Stage)
• Uniform velocity (shown by red arrows
maintaining the same size)
• Acceleration
v (t )  equals
f v  at
i zero

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Relationship between Acceleration and Velocity
(Third Stage)
• Acceleration and velocity are in opposite
directions
• Acceleration
v (t )  is
f uniform (blue arrows
v  at
i

maintain the same length)

• Velocity is decreasing (red arrows are
getting shorter)
• Velocity is positive and acceleration is
negative

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Kinematic Variables: x, v, a
• Position is a function of time: x  x (t )
• Velocity is the rate of change of position.
• Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
x dx v dv
v  lim  a  lim 
t  0  t dt t  0 t dt
d d
dt dt
• Position Velocity Acceleration
• Graphical relationship between x, v, and a
This same plot can apply to an elevator that is initially
stationary, then moves upward, and then stops. Plot v and a
as a function of time.

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Special Case: Motion with Uniform Acceleration
(our typical case)
• Acceleration is a constant
• Kinematic Equations (which we
v  v0  at
will derive in a moment)

1
x  v t  (v0  v)t
2
x  v0t  12 at 2

2 2
v  v0  2ax

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Derivation of the Equation (1)
• Given initial conditions:
• a(t) = constant = a, v(t = 0) = v0, x(t = 0) = x0

• Start with definition

v  v  at0
of average acceleration:
v v  v0 v  v0 v  v0
aavg     a
t t  t0 t 0 t

• We immediately get the first equation

• Shows velocity as a function of acceleration and time

• Use when you don’t know and aren’t asked to find the
displacement

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Derivation of the Equation (2)
• Given initial conditions:
• a(t) = constant = a, v(t = 0) = v0, x(t = 0) = x0
• Start with definition
v 
xx

x of average velocity:
0
avg
t t

• Since velocity changes at a constant rate, we have

1
x  vavg t  (v0  v)t
2
• Gives displacement as a function of velocity and time
• Use when you don’t know and aren’t asked for the
acceleration

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Derivation of the Equation (3)
• Given initial conditions:
• a(t) = constant = a, v(t = 0) = v0, x(t = 0) = x0

• Start with
x  xthe
 x  vtwo
0 t  at just-derived equations:
0
1
2
2

1
v  v0  at x  vavg t  (v0  v)t
2

1 1
• We have x  (v0  v)t  (v0  v0  at )t
2 2
• Gives displacement as a function of all three quantities: time, initial
velocity and acceleration
• Use when you don’t know and aren’t asked to find the final velocity

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Derivation of the Equation (4)
• Given initial conditions:
• a(t) = constant = a, v(t = 0) = v0, x(t = 0) = x0
• Rearrange
2
the definition of average acceleration
2 2
v  v  2ax  v  2a ( x  x )
v v , to
0 0
v0 find the time
0
v  v0
aavg   a t
t t a
• Use it to eliminate t in the second equation: 2
1 1 v 2  v0
x  (v0  v)t  (v  v0 )(v  v, 0rearrange
) to get
2 2a 2a

• Gives velocity as a function of acceleration and displacement

• Use when you don’t know and aren’t asked for the time

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

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 v  v0  at
• Choose the appropriate kinematic equation
• Solve for the unknowns x  v0t  12 at 2
• You may have to solve two equations for two unknowns 2
v 2  v0  2ax
• Check your results

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Example
• An airplane has a lift-off speed of 30 m/s after a
take-off run of 300 m, what minimum constant
acceleration?

2
v  v0  at x  v0t  12 at 2 v 2  v0  2ax

• What is the corresponding take-off time?

v  v0  at x  v0t  12 at 2 2
v 2  v0  2ax

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Free Fall Acceleration
y
• Earth gravity provides a constant
acceleration. Most important case of
constant acceleration.
• Free-fall acceleration is independent of
mass.
• Magnitude: |a| = g = 9.8 m/s2
• Direction: always downward, so ag is
negative if we define “up” as positive,
a = g = 9.8 m/s2
• Try to pick origin so that xi = 0

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

 Free Fall for Rookie
• A stone is thrown from the top of a building with an initial
velocity of 20.0 m/s straight upward, at an initial height of
50.0 m above the ground. The stone just misses the edge of
the roof on the its way down. Determine
• (a) the time needed for the stone to reach its maximum
height.
• (b) the maximum height.
• (c) the time needed for the stone to return to the height
from which it was thrown and the velocity of the stone at
that instant.
• (d) the time needed for the stone to reach the ground
• (e) the velocity and position of the stone at t = 5.00s

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013

Summary
• This is the simplest type of motion
• It lays the groundwork for more complex motion
• Kinematic variables in one dimension
• Position x(t) m L
• Velocity v(t) m/s L/T
• Acceleration a(t) m/s2 L/T2
• All depend on time
• All are vectors: magnitude and direction vector:
• Equations for motion with constant acceleration: missing quantities
• x – x0 v  v  at 0

• v x  x0  v0t  12 at 2
2 2
v  v0  2a ( x  x0 )
• t
x  x0  12 (v  v0 )t
• a
x  x0  vt  12 at 2
• v0

Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013