Describing Motion:

•Graphical Analysis of Linear Motion

•Average Velocity
•Instantaneous Velocity
•Acceleration
•Motion at Constant Acceleration
•Solving Problems
•Falling Objects
 Graphing Velocity I
1) it speeds up all the time
The graph of position versus
2) it slows down all the time
time for a car is given below.
3) it moves at constant velocity
What can you say about the
4) sometimes it speeds up and
velocity of the car over time?
sometimes it slows down
5) not really sure

t
 Graphing Velocity I
1) it speeds up all the time
The graph of position versus
2) it slows down all the time
time for a car is given below.
3) it moves at constant velocity
What can you say about the
4) sometimes it speeds up and
velocity of the car over time?
sometimes it slows down
5) not really sure

x The car moves at a constant velocity

because the x vs. t plot shows a straight
line. The slope of a straight line is
constant. Remember that the slope of x
versus t is the velocity!
t
 Graphing Velocity II
1) it speeds up all the time
The graph of position vs. 2) it slows down all the time
time for a car is given below. 3) it moves at constant velocity

What can you say about the 4) sometimes it speeds up and

sometimes it slows down
velocity of the car over time?
5) not really sure

t
 Graphing Velocity II
1) it speeds up all the time
The graph of position vs. 2) it slows down all the time
time for a car is given below. 3) it moves at constant velocity

What can you say about the 4) sometimes it speeds up and

sometimes it slows down
velocity of the car over time?
5) not really sure

The car slows down all the time x

because the slope of the x vs. t graph is
diminishing as time goes on.
Remember that the slope of x vs. t is
the velocity! At large t, the value of the
position x does not change, indicating
t
that the car must be at rest.
 v v Rubber Balls I
1
t 3 t
v v

2 4
t t

You drop a rubber ball. Right

after it leaves your hand and
before it hits the floor, which
of the above plots
represents the v vs. t graph
for this motion? (Assume
your y-axis is pointing up.)
 v Rubber
v Balls I
1
t 3 t
v v

2 4
t t

You drop a rubber ball. Right

The ball is dropped from rest, so its
after it leaves your hand and
initial velocity is zero.
zero Since the y-
before it hits the floor, which
axis is pointing upwards and the ball
of the above plots
is falling downwards, its velocity is
represents the v vs. t graph
negative and becomes more and more
for this motion? (Assume
your y-axis is pointing up.) negative as it accelerates downward.
 v v Rubber Balls II

1 t 3 t
v v

2 4
t t

You toss a ball straight up in

the air and catch it again.
Right after it leaves your
hand and before you catch it,
which of the above plots
represents the v vs. t graph
for this motion? (Assume
your y-axis is pointing up.)
 v Rubber
v Balls II

1 t 3 t
v v

2 4
t t

You toss a ball straight up in the

air and catch it again. Right
after it leaves your hand and
before you catch it, which of the
above plots represents the v vs.
t graph for this motion?
(Assume your y-axis is pointing
up.)
The ball has an initial velocity that is
positive but diminishing as it slows. It
stops at the top (v = 0), and then its
velocity becomes negative and
becomes more and more negative as
it accelerates downward.
This is a graph of x vs. t for an object
moving with constant velocity.

The velocity is the

gradient of the graph.

Calculate the velocity.

Velocity = 11/1.0 = 11 ms-1

This is a graph of velocity vs. time for an object
with varying velocity;

The acceleration = gradient of the graph

distance travelled = Area under graph

Describe motion in words.

1. Acceleration 2. Constant speed

3. Deceleration 4. Constant speed

Calculate:

1. Acceleration
For each section
2. Distance
Calculating Instantaneous velocity

Velocity = gradient of the tangent

 Average Velocity
Speed: how far an object travels in a given time
interval

Velocity includes directional information:

Veloc

ms-1
ity

10

10 20 25 32 Time (s)

-10

CALCULATE AVERAGE SPEED

AND AVERAGE VELOCITY
 ACCELERATION
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
 ACCELERATION
Acceleration is a vector
In one-dimensional motion we only need the
sign.
This is negative acceleration:
vf

vi

Gradient = vf – vi / t = a
vf = vi + at
vf

vi

area = 0.5 (vf – vi) x t + vi x t = d

vf - vi = at
d= 0.5 (at) x t + vi x t = vit + 0.5at2
MOTION AT CONSTANT ACCELERATION

Combining these equations allows us to

develop 5 equations each with 4 variables
vf = vi +at
d= vit + 0.5at2 Each equation has one
missing variable out of
vf2 = vi2 + 2ad the 5 used (d, vi, vf, a, t)
d = (vf +vi)t / 2

d = vf t – 0.5at2
 SOLVING PROBLEMS
1. Read the whole problem and make sure you
understand it. Then read it again.

2. Write down the known (given) quantities,

and then the unknown ones that you
need to find

3. What physics applies here? Plan an

approach to a solution.
 SOLVING PROBLEMS
4. Which equations relate the known and
unknown quantities? Are they valid in this
situation? Solve algebraically for the unknown
quantities, and check that your result is
sensible (correct dimensions).

5. Calculate the solution and round it to the

appropriate number of significant figures.
 SOLVING PROBLEMS

6. Look at the result – is it reasonable? Does it

agree with a rough estimate?

7. Check the units again.

 FALLING OBJECTS
Near the surface of the Earth, all objects
experience approximately the same acceleration
due to gravity.
This is one of the most
common examples of motion
with constant acceleration.
FALLING OBJECTS

In the absence of air

resistance, all objects
fall with the same
acceleration, although
this may be hard to tell
by testing in an
environment where
there is air resistance.
FALLING OBJECTS

The acceleration due to

gravity at the Earth’s
surface is approximately
9.80 m/s2.
 Summary
• Kinematics is the description of how objects
move with respect to a defined reference frame.
• Displacement is the change in position of an
object.
• Average speed is the distance traveled divided
by the time it took; average velocity is the
displacement divided by the time.
• Instantaneous velocity is the limit as the time
becomes infinitesimally short.
 Summary
• Average acceleration is the change in velocity
divided by the time.
• Instantaneous acceleration is the limit as the
time interval becomes infinitesimally small.
• The equations of motion for constant
acceleration are given, there are five, each one of
which requires a different set of quantities.
• Objects falling (or having been projected) near
the surface of the Earth experience a gravitational
acceleration of 9.80 m/s2.