2020 CJC H2 Physics Revision Package – kinematics(Notes)

2020 H2 PHYSICS REVISION NOTES: KINEMATICS

1. Definitions
a. Distance travelled is the total length of the path followed by the particle between
its initial and final position.
b. Displacement is the distance moved in a specified direction. The direction is
directed from the reference point to the current position of the body. Its
magnitude is the length between the reference point and the current position. It
is a vector quantity.
c. Speed is defined as the rate of change of distance or distance traveled per
unit time.
d. Instantaneous speed is the speed at a particular instant which is the rate of
change of distance or distance traveled per unit time at an instant.

Average Speed , <v>, is defined as distance traveled along actual path /

<v> = x / t
e. Velocity is defined as the rate of change of displacement or change of
displacement per unit time

v = dx / dt

Velocity is a vector quantity.

f. Instantaneous velocity is the velocity at an instant. It is also given by v = dx /

<v> =  x /  t
Average velocity is also equal to the change in displacement from a
reference point / time taken.
h. Acceleration is defined as rate of change of velocity or change of velocity per
unit time

a = dv / dt

i. Instantaneous acceleration is the acceleration at an instant. It is also given by

<a > =  v /  t

where  v is the change in velocity and  t is the time taken

A body moves with constant or uniform acceleration if its velocity changes by

where u and v are the initial and final velocities of the body and t is the
time taken

Acceleration is a vector quantity.

5
2020 CJC H2 Physics Revision Package – kinematics(Notes)

2. graphs

2.1 Displacement – time graph

This is a useful way of presenting information about how the position of a body
changes with time. The displacement is measured along a straight from a reference
point.

d/m

gradient = dv / dt = velocity

t/s

Since v = dx / dt, the instantaneous velocity of the body at any instant = the
gradient of the graph.

2.2 Velocity – time graph

The velocity-time graph displays information about how the velocity of a body
varies with time.

v /m s-1

Area = displacement
gradient = acceleration

t/s
t1 t2

The gradient of the graph at any instant is the instantaneous acceleration.

The area under the graph between time t1 and t2 is the displacement of the body
Uniform velocity.

A particle in uniform velocity moves in a straight line, and travels equal distances in equal
times. The gradient of the v-t graph must be constant hence the displacement – time
graph is a straight line.

6
2020 CJC H2 Physics Revision Package – kinematics(Notes)

Constant acceleration

If velocity – time graph is a straight line, the body is moving with constant or
uniform acceleration.

3 Equation of motion

The equations of motion are

v = u + at

u v
 v 
2

s = u t + ½ at 2

v 2 = u 2 + 2as

4. Motion under gravity

If an object is fall freely, the only force acting on the object is the gravitational pull of
the Earth. The air resistance is zero. The acceleration is equal to g = 9.81 m s-2
downwards.

5. Motion under gravity with air resistance

Consider a body that is dropped from rest in air. Its initial velocity is zero
and the drag force F is also zero. The body falls with an acceleration
a = g.
When the body is moving with a certain velocity, its drag force increases
mg
proportionately with velocity F=kv. If mg is larger than F, then there is a
net downward force and hence a down ward acceleration
mg – F = ma
a = (mg – F) / m = g – F / m

Since the body is moving gaining velocity, the upward drag force
increases. There will come a point whereby the upward drag equals the
weight. When this happens, the net force on the body is zero and hence
F = kv the acceleration is also zero. The velocity will reach a maximum
constant value called the terminal velocity.
mg – F = ma
mg mg – F = 0 since mg = F (a = 0)

7
2020 CJC H2 Physics Revision Package – kinematics(Notes)

Graphs for the variation of velocity with time is as shown:

6. Projectile Motion

A body moving in a vertical plane under the influence of the force of gravity (weight)
is in a projectile motion.

To analyse a projectile motion, the motion is resolved into horizontal motion and
vertical motion. The quantities displacement, velocity and acceleration are resolved
into two perpendicular components: vertical and horizontal components.

The horizontal motion for a projectile is a uniform motion since the gravitational force
acts vertically and it has no affect on this motion. The motion is just the same as that
of a ball rolling freely along a level table.

The vertical motion is just like the motion for a freely falling object. The projectile
rises with a deceleration of 9.81 m s-2 vertically while it falls with an acceleration of
9.81 m s-2 vertically.

During the fall, increase in vertical velocity causes successively greater distances to
be covered in each successive equal time interval. The opposite is true for the rise.

The vertical and horizontal components are independent of each other.

Horizontal motion:
vy = u y x = uy t

Vertical motion:
vy = uy + gt y = uyt + ½ gt 2 vy 2 = uy 2 + 2gy

Notes: subscribe x denotes horizontal components and subscribe y denotes the

The displacement and velocity at an instant is the vector sum of their components.

It can be shown that the path is a parabolic curve.