PHYSICS

PROJECT
ON EQUATION OF
MOTION & ITS
APPLICATION

SUMMITED
BY

Rohan
Sharma

CLASS

12 A

Equations of Motion
There are three equations of motion.
You must be able to use and derive these three equations of
motion.
1st Equation of Motion

v u
t

v u a t
v ua t

2nd Equation of Motion

To derive the second equation of motion, the velocity-time graph
shown is used as a starting point.
velocity/ms-1

v - u

time/s

Displacement (s) is the area under a velocity time graph.

s area
ut

area
1
t v - u
2

but from equation (1):

v u at
v - u at
so we can rewrite as:

s ut

1
t at
2

s ut

1 2
at
2

3rd Equation of Motion

This equation links final velocity (v) and displacement (s).

v u at
v 2 u at

v 2 u at u at

v2 u2 2uat a2t2
taking a common factor of 2a gives

1 2

v u 2a ut at
2

and since

s = ut + at2

v2 u2 2as

Direction
When using the equations of motion, it is essential that direction
is considered.
In these examples, upward motion is taken as positive, so any
downward motion is taken to be negative.

Example
A helicopter is travelling upwards
with a velocity of 25 ms-1.
A package is released and hits the
ground 14 s later.

Path of Package
stationary
( 0 ms-1 )

released

*
* hits

ground

This example has motion in two directions.

It is necessary to distinguish between the two directions.

Choose the upward direction as positive!

(a)

How long will it take the package to reach its maximum

height?
t?
u 25 ms1
v 0 ms1
a 9.8 ms2

v u at

0 25 - 9.8 t

9.8 t 25
t 2.55 s

(2)

(b)

How high as it climbed since being released?

s?
u 25 ms1

t 2.55 s
a 9.8 ms2

(2)

1
s ut at2
2
1

25 2.55 - 9.8 2.552

2

63.75 31.86

s 31.9 m

(c)

Calculate the velocity of the package just before it hits the

ground.
(2)
v?
u 25 ms1

t 14 s
a 9.8 ms2

v u at
25 - 9.8 14

25 - 137.2
v 112.2 ms1

The negative indicates

travelling downwards.

(d)

How high above the ground is the helicopter when the

package is released?
s?
u 25 ms1
t 14 s
a -9.8 ms2

1
s ut at2
2
25 14

1
- 9.8 142
2

350 960.4

s 610.4 m

So the helicopter is 610.4 m above the ground.

(2)