Acceleration and Free Fall

Chapter 2.2 and 2.3

What is acceleration?

 Acceleration measures the rate of

change in velocity.

 Average acceleration = change in

velocity/ time required for change
Units for acceleration

v
aavg 
t

m/s m
 2
s s
Sign is very important!

 Acceleration has both direction and

magnitude

 A negative value for acceleration does

not always mean an object is
decelerating!!
 2-4 Acceleration

Increasing speed and deceleration (decreasing

speed) should not be confused with the
directions of velocity and acceleration:
Speeding up, moving to the right Slowing down, moving to the right

Slowing down, moving to the left Speeding up, moving to the left
Fill in the Chart
Initial Velocity Acceleration Motion
+ + Speeding up, moving
right/up
- - Speeding up, moving
left/down
+ - Slowing Down
moving right/up
- + Slowing Down,
moving left/down
- or + 0 Constant Velocity

0 - or + Speeding up from
rest
0 0 Remaining at rest
Graph of Velocity vs Time

Question: What does the slope of this graph give you?

Answer: ACCELERATION

Rise = Δv
Run Δt Vf – VAVG = Δv

tf – ti = Δt
Motion with constant acceleration

 Kinematic Equations
 The relationships between displacement,
velocity and constant acceleration are
expressed by equations that apply to any
object moving with constant
acceleration.
Displacement with constant acceleration

1
x  (vi  v f )t
2
 Δx = displacement
 Vi = initial velocity
 Vf = final velocity
 Δt = time interval
Example: #1 p.53 in book

 A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a

speed of 23.7 km/h in 6.5 s. Find the
distance the car travels during this time.
 Δx = displacement= distance= ?
 Vi = initial velocity = rest = 0 km/h

 Vf = final velocity = 23.7 km/h

 Δt = time interval = 6.5 s

Look at final velocity…convert to m/s!!!

Problem Solving

Final velocity km 1000m 1h m

conversion 23.7 x x  6.58
h 1km 3600s s

 Plug in values and

solve for Δx
1 m m
 x  (0  6.58 )(6.5s )  21m
2 s s
Velocity with constant uniform acceleration

v f  vi  at
Vf = final velocity
Vi = initial velocity
a = acceleration
Δt = time interval
Example: #2 p.55

 An automobile with an initial speed of

4.30 m/s accelerates uniformly at the
rate of 3.0 m/s2. Find the final speed
after 5.0 seconds.
Vf = final velocity=?
Vi = initial velocity = 4.3 m/s
a = acceleration= 3.0 m/s^2
Δt = time interval= 5.0 s
Solve

 Plug in values and

solve for Vf
m m
v f  4.3  (3.0 2 )(5.0s)
s s

Vf= 19 m/s
Displacement with constant uniform acceleration

1
x  vi t  a (t ) 2

2
Δx = displacement
Vi = initial velocity
a = acceleration
Δt = time interval
Example: #2 p.55

 An automobile with an initial speed of 4.30 m/s

accelerates uniformly at the rate of 3.0 m/s2.
Find the displacement after 5.0 seconds.

Δx = displacement=??
Vi = initial velocity= 4.30 m/s
a = acceleration= 3.0 m/s^2
Δt = time interval= 5.0 s
Solve!

 Plug in values and

solve for
displacement

m 1 m
x  (4.3 )(5.0s )  (3.0 2 )(5.0s ) 2  59m
s 2 s
Final Velocity after any displacement

v  v  2ax
2
f
2
i
Vf = final velocity
Vi = initial velocity
a = acceleration
Δx = displacement
Example: p.58 #3

 A car accelerates uniformly in a straight

line from rest at the rate of 2.3 m/s^2.
What is the speed of the car after it has
traveled 55 m?
 Vf = final velocity=??
 Vi = initial velocity= rest= 0 m/s
 a = acceleration= 2.3 m/s^2
 Δx = displacement= 55 m
Solve

2
m m m
v f  (0 )  2(2.3 2 )(55m)  253 2
2 2

s s s

2
m m
v  253 2  v f  16
2
f
s s
Rearranging

 Your problems won’t always be so

straightforward…make sure to rearrange
your equations to solve for the unknown
before plugging in your numbers (with
units!)
Section 2-3 Falling Objects

 Free Fall: Neglecting air resistance, all

objects fall with the same constant
acceleration
Acceleration due to gravity
m
g  9.81 2
s
Free Fall Acceleration

• However, acceleration is a vector.

• Gravity acts toward the earth (down)

• Therefore, the acceleration of

objects in free fall near the surface of
the earth is
m
a   g  9.81 2
s
What we see because of air
resistance…
Object falling from rest
Path of a projectile
At top of path
v= 0 m/s
a = -9.81 m/s2
Free Fall Acceleration

 At the highest point of an arc, an object has

velocity = 0 m/s, acceleration is still -9.81
m/s2

 An object thrown into the air is a freely

m
falling body with vi  0
s
Free Fall Problem p.64 #2

 A flowerpot falls from a windowsill 25.0

m above the sidewalk
 A. How fast is the flowerpot moving when it
strikes the ground?

 B. How much time does a paserby on the

sidewalk below have to move out of the way
before the flowerpot hits the ground?
Part. A.
 What are we looking for: Vf
 What do we know?
 Displacement: -25 m
 Acceleration: -9.81 m/s2
 Vi=0 m/s

What equation should we use??

v 2
f v 2
i  2ax
Solve the problem 

v f   v  2ax 2
i
2
 m m
v f    0   2(9.81 2 )( 25m)
 s s

m
v f  22.1
s
Part b.
 How much time before
the flowerpot hits the
ground?
 What do we know?
 Displacement= -25.0 m
 Acceleration = -9.81
m/s2
v f  vi  at
 V initial= 0
 V final = -22.1 m/s
 What are we looking
for: Time!
 Which equation should
we use??
Solve the Problem 
v f  vi  at
v f  vi
 t
a
m
 22.1  0
t  s
m
 9.81 2
s

t  2.25s