A-LEVEL PHYSICS

Kinematics
Content

1 Linear motion
2 Non-linear motion

Learning Outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) define displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration.
* (b) use graphical methods to represent displacement, speed, velocity
and acceleration.
* (c) find displacement from the area under a velocity-time graph.
* (d) use the slope of a displacement-time graph to find the velocity.
* (e) use the slope of a velocity-time graph to find the acceleration.
(f) derive, from the definitions of velocity and acceleration, equations
which represent uniformly accelerated motion in a straight line.
* (g) solve problems using equations which represent uniformly
accelerated motion in a straight line, including the motion of bodies
falling in a uniform gravitational field without air resistance.
(h) recall that the weight of a body is equal to the product of its mass
and the acceleration of free fall.
* (i) describe an experiment to determine the acceleration of free fall
using a falling body.
(j) describe qualitatively the motion of bodies falling in a uniform
gravitational field with air resistance.
(k) describe and explain motion due to a uniform velocity in one
direction and a uniform acceleration in a perpendicular direction.
 DISPLACEMENT,SPEED,VELOCITYAND ACCELERATION

Quantity Definition Vector/ S.I.

Scalar Unit
Displacement distance moved in a specified v m
direction
Speed distance moved per unit time s ms-1
Velocity distance moved per unit time in a v ms-1
specified direction
Acceleration change in velocity per unit time v ms-2

GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF MOTION

Displacement against Time Graphs

stationary

b) uniform velocity

uniform acceleration

The slope of a s/t graph represents velocity.

Velocity against Time Graphs

a) uniform velocity
b) uniform acceleration

non uniform acceleration

The slope of a v/t graph represents acceleration.

Using a v/t graph to find distance moved

: Uniform velocity:
Uniform acceleration

displacement = vav × t
displacement = (15/2) × 6 displacement =
displacement = 45m v×t
= 10X8
=80m
Calculating the magnitude of the displacement of the body is numerically the
same as calculating the area under the graph.
Conclusion
The area under a v/t graph represents the magnitude of the displacement of the
body.

THE EQUATIONS OF MOTION

These equations are useful for solving problems in which objects are moving with
uniform acceleration.

If the sense of the motion changes, decide which sense is positive before
starting the calculations.

t represents time
a represents acceleration
u represents "initial" speed (or velocity)
v represents "final" speed (or velocity)
represents the displacement from some reference point (usually the starting
point) at time t.
s
If the reference point is not the starting point, we might also see so in the
equations (where so means the displacement at time t = 0).

The equations will give us the magnitude and sense of the velocities,
accelerations and displacements.

The following are the derivations of the equations of motion.

We can start with the definition of the acceleration as:

Rearranging, we will get

 V = u +a t---------------------------(1)

Now the distance covered is given by

S = vav x t

We know , average velocity is given as

Therefore

Putting the value of V from equation (1), we can get

------------------------------------(2)

From the definition of acceleration and the definition of average velocity

t = (v-u)/a------------------------------------i

vav = (v+u)/2 --------------------------------ii

multiplying these two equations, we will get

----------------------------(3)

THE ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY (ACCELERATION OF FREE FALL)

 Experiments show that, when air resistance can be ignored, all bodies fall with
the same acceleration called acceleration of free fall or acceleration due to
gravity.
 This acceleration is given the symbol g.
 If the distance fallen is small compared to the radius of the earth, the
acceleration g can be assumed to be constant and equal to be 9·81 ms-2
 The acceleration due to gravity is not exactly the same at all points on the
earth’s surface.
 Small variations in g are due to:
i) altitude
ii) latitude (the earth is not a sphere)
iii) the rotation of the earth. The value of g is less than it would be if the earth did
not rotate. The value of g is reduced most at places where the speed of circular
motion is greatest; that is, on the equator.

Velocity against Time Graphs for a Falling Body

a) In vacuum b) In air

 The force of air resistance increases as the velocity of the body increases.
Therefore, a body will reach a terminal velocity (vt) when air resistance is
equal in magnitude to the weight of the body.
 The acceleration of free fall is always directed downwards whether the body is
moving upwards or downwards or at the maximum height.
 If the upwards direction is taken as positive then g = - 9·81 ms-2
 The equations of motion will be used for the calculations including free fall.

Weight of a body
 The weight of a body is measure of the force of gravity of the earth on the
body.
 It can be defined as the product of mass of the body and the acceleration due
to gravity. i.e W=mg
 Weight is a vector quantity and is always directed towards the center of the
earth.
 Its value decrease as we move away up above the earth surface.
 A Newton meter(spring balance) is used to measure the weight of a body.
 Experiment to find the value of ‘g’
 Theory suggests that the time period of a simple pendulum can be
calculated using the following equation

 where, is the length of the pendulum and g is the acceleration due

to gravity.
 Assuming that this equation is correct, use a simple pendulum (as
shown in the figure) to find the acceleration due to gravity .
 The length of the pendulum is set to about 50 cm
 The pendulum is set in vibrations and timed for 20 vibrations.
Hence ,time period(time for 1 vibration is calculated)
 Use the above equation to calculate the value of g .
 Repeat this procedure few time more and find an average result .
 PROJECTILE MOTION

Definition When a body moves in air making an angle with horizontal or vertical
direction it is called a projectile and its motion is projectile motion.
A projectile moves on a parabolic path or trajectory.
V sin θ

H
V
θ
V cos θ
R

DURING THIS MOTION

• The horizontal component of the velocity remains the constant.
• The vertical component of the velocity changes.
• The vertical component of the velocity is zero at the highest point.
• The vertical acceleration a = -g throughout the projectile motion..
Calculations
Maximum height (H) can be calculated by using the following equation
V2 = u 2 + 2 a s
0 = (u sinθ ) 2 – 2 g H
H = (u2 sin2θ ) / 2g
Time to reach maximum height can be found in the following way:
V=u+at
0 = (u sinθ ) – g t
t = (u sinθ )/g
Time of flight(T) will be double of the t
so T = 2t T = 2(u sinθ )/g
Range of the projectile can be found in the following way:
Range = horizontal velocity x time of flight
Range = v cosθ x 2(u sinθ )/g
Note that the range will be
maximum for θ =450 QUESTIONS- KINEMATICS

Motion Question 1

An object is initially moving at 10ms-1. At t=0, it then accelerates uniformly to

25ms-1 in 5s. It continues to move at this speed for 5s and finally comes to rest,
with uniform acceleration, in 15s. First sketch a velocity against time graph for
this motion, then calculate
a) the acceleration in the first 5s
b) the total distance moved
c) the acceleration in the last 15s
d) the average speed for the whole motion.

Motion Question 2

A table tennis ball is dropped from a height of about 30cm centimetres on to a

hard, smooth, horizontal surface.
Sketch ..
a) a displacement against time graph for (about) the first two seconds of the
motion of the ball (consider the displacement to be measured from the
horizontal surface)
S ..b) a velocity against time graph (covering the same period of time).

Motion Question 3

A stone is dropped from a high building and it is observed to take 3·5s to reach
the ground below.
a)Assuming that air resistance is negligible, use the observation to calculate the
height of the building.
b) In practice, air resistance is not negligible. Is your answer to part a) higher or
lower than the real height of the building? Explain your answer.

Motion Question 4
 At t = 0s a stone is thrown vertically upwards and it reaches a height of 90m.
Calculate
a) the time taken to return to its starting point
b) the speed with which the stone was thrown
c) the speed of the stone when it was 50m above its starting point
d) how far the stone will be from its starting point at t = 7s.

Motion Question 5

A person runs a 100m race in 12s. During the first 4s the person accelerates (for
simplicity, assume that the acceleration is uniform). For the other 8s of the race
the person runs at constant speed, v. Calculate the speed, v.

Motion Question 6

The diagram below represents a series of photographs of a ball thrown upwards

on a planet on which the acceleration due to gravity is not 9·8ms-2. The
photographs were taken at 0·2s intervals. Calculate the magnitude of the
acceleration due to gravity on the planet.

Motion Question 7
At t = 0, a body starts to fall from a height, h, in air. The
acceleration due to gravity is 9·8ms-2.
At t = 8s, it reaches its terminal speed.
At t = 20s it hits the ground.
Estimate the terminal speed of the body and the height h.
State any assumptions or approximations you have made
in your calculations.