3

KINEMATICS: MOTION ALONG A STRAIGHT

LINE

1. convert a verbal description of a physical situation involving uniform acceleration in one dimension
into a mathematical description;
2. interpret displacement and velocity, respectively, as areas under velocity vs. time and acceleration
vs. time curves;
3. interpret velocity and acceleration, respectively, as slopes of position vs. time and velocity vs. time
curves;
4. construct velocity vs. time and acceleration vs. time graphs, respectively corresponding to given
position vs. time-graph and velocity vs. time-graph and vice versa;
5. solve for unknown quantities in equations involving one-dimensional uniformly accelerated motion;
and
6. solve problems involving one dimensional motion with constant acceleration in contexts such as,
but not limited to the “tail-gating phenomenon”, pursuit, rocket launch, and free fall problems

Hello learners! Welcome to our lesson for this week which is all about Kinematics: Motion Along a
Straight Line. In this module you will learn that motion is one of the key topics in physics. Everything
in the universe moves. It might only be a small amount of movement and very slow, but movement
does happen. Don't forget that even if you appear to be standing still, the Earth is moving around the
Sun, and the Sun is moving around our galaxy. The movement never stops. Motion is one part of
what physicists call mechanics. Over the years, scientists have discovered several rules or laws that
explain motion and the causes of changes in motion. There are also special laws when you reach the
speed of light or when physicists look at very small things like atoms. Are you excited? Come on, let's
get started!
ACTIVITY NO. 1 : Think About It!
1. If you jump up in a moving school bus, will you land in the same spot? Why or why not?

2. When you are sitting at your desk, are you moving?

3.1 Motion
Motion is a change in position of an object over time. A straight line is considered as one dimension.
An example of this is the movement of a vehicle along a straight road. There three key ideas to
understand a motion along the straight line. Namely, displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

3.2 Distance and Displacement

Distance is a scalar measure of the interval between two locations measured along the actual path
connecting them. Displacement is a vector measure of the interval between two locations measured
along the shortest path connecting them. The SI unit for displacement is meter, so from this point
forward, we will convert displacement into meter if necessary.
Suppose a student walks 100 m going to school and goes back to school after the classes. The
distance traveled by the student is therefore a total of 200 m (100 m going back and forth from home
to school), while the student’s displacement from its initial position would be 0 m, because the student
is back to where to its original position.

The symbol used for displacement is ∆x and ~s. The triangle symbol ∆ is the Greek capital letter
delta. It is used in physics to represent the change in a variable. ∆x therefore means, the change in x.
~s is sometimes used as x is reserved for one dimensional motion along a defined x-axis or the x-
component of a more complex motion.
Example 1:
A cyclist rides 3 km west and then turns around and rides 2 km east. (1) What is their displacement?
(2) What is their total distance? (3) What is the magnitude of their displacement?
Solution:
Convert existing values into meter. (1km = 1000 m)

-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
3,000 m west

2,000 m east
-1,000 m displacement

( a ) the cyclist displacement is s=−1000 m .

( b ) The total distance is 2000 m+3000 m=5000 m.
(c )The magnitudeof displacement is1000 m .

Example 2:

A cyclist travels around a 500-m circular track 10 times, what is

the distance travelled, and what is the cyclist’s final
displacement?

Image Source: Physics, Concepts and Connections (2002)

Solution:
The cyclist travels a distance of 500 m each time she
completes one lap. Since she completes 10 laps, her total distance
is 5000 m. To find her displacement, we draw a line segment
from the starting point to the end point of her motion. Because
she starts and ends at the same point, her displacement has a
magnitude of zero.
3.3 Speed and Velocity
Speed and velocity are used interchangeably in everyday situations. However, in physics, they
are two different quantities. Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to the distance traveled by a body in
a given time. Velocity on the other hand, is a vector quantity that refers to the displacement of a body
in a specified time interval. The SI unit for speed and velocity is meter per second (m/s).
If a body moves through a displacement Δ x in a time interval Δ t , then its average velocity ⃗v avg
is
Δx
⃗v avg=
Δt
Example 3:
A ship sales 3 km, west in 2 h, followed by 5 km, east in 3 h.
a. What is the ship’s average speed?
b. What is the ship’s average velocity?

Solution:
total distance 3 km+5 km 8 km
speed= = = =1.6 km/h
total time 2 h+3 h 5h
Remember, we assign negative value for west, since it goes left, and positive for east. Time is not
affected by direction, so it remains positive.
Δ x −3 km+5 km 2 km
⃗v avg= = = =0.4 km/h
Δt 2 h+3 h 5h
Since the final value is positive, we associate the direction to be east. Therefore, the final answer for
the average velocity is 0.4 km/h, east.

3.4 Acceleration
Acceleration is the change in velocity per unit time. Velocity can change in magnitude or
direction or both. A negative acceleration in horizontal motion is an acceleration to the left. If an
object’s initial velocity is to the left, the negative acceleration will cause it to speed up. If an object’s
initial velocity is to the right, the negative acceleration will cause it to slow down.
Algebraically, we can express acceleration as

Δ v⃗ v f −⃗
⃗ vi
a⃗ = or ⃗a=
Δt Δt
The SI unit for acceleration is a derived unit; that is, it is a unit created by dividing a velocity
unit (such as m/s) by a time unit (such as s), giving
m
s m 1 m
units= = × = 2 ∨m/s 2
s s s s

When struck by a baseball bat, the ball’s velocity changes from 15

m/s [W] to 10 m/s [E] in 0.30 s.
Determine the ball’s acceleration. Recall that in our standard
coordinate system, we can represent
west as negative and east as positive.

Solution:
Given:
v i=−15 m/s, v f =10 m/s, Δ t=0.3 s

v⃗f −⃗vi 10 m/s−(−15 m/s) 25 m/s 2

a⃗ = = = =83.33 m/s
Δt 0.3 s 0.3 s

3.5 A Graphical Analysis of Linear Motion

There are three main types of graphs used in kinematics: position–time graphs, velocity–time
graphs, and acceleration–time graphs. The relationships among these graphs provide us with some
of our most powerful analytical tools.

The graph above shows the position-time graph (or displacement-time graph) for a ball rolling
forward on a straight line (displacement is shown as d(m) in this table). This simple example provides
us with a considerable amount of information about the motion of the object. Recall that

slope=
rise
run
⇒ m=
Δ d (m)
Δ t (s)
⇒ v= ( )
Δd m
Δt s

By calculating the slope of the linear graph, we can determine the velocity of the air-hockey
puck in meters per second. From this result, we can conclude that the slope of a position–time
graph gives the velocity of the object.

If the slope of a position–time graph gives velocity, and uniform motion is constant velocity,
then the graph must have a constant slope (i.e., be a straight line). In other words, if an object is
undergoing uniform motion, its position–time graph must be a straight line.
Not all position–time graphs are straight lines. Some are curves, and some are a complex
combination of curves and straight lines. Regardless of the graph’s shape, the slope of the position–
time graph gives the velocity of the object.
Example:
Given the graph on figure 7, find the average velocity from t=0 up to t=5.

Solution:
At t=0 , we can see that the displacement is 0 m.
At t=5 , the displacement is 10 m, hence

10 m−0 m
v= =2 m/ s
5 s−0 s
3.6 The Velocity–Time Graph
The slope of a tangent drawn to a point on a velocity-time graph gives the instantaneous
acceleration at that time. We could say that in a velocity-time graph, we can determine the
instantaneous acceleration with the equation
⃗
Δ v dv
a⃗ = lim =
Δt →0 Δ t dt
If we are to multiply velocity and time, the unit in time which is seconds, will cancel out, giving us a
unit in meter. Therefore, by this analogy, we can conclude that the area under a velocity–time graph
is the displacement of the object.

Example:

The velocity of a particle is given by the equation v=¿) m/s. Find the instantaneous acceleration at
t=4 s .

Solution:
Recall in your calculus the power rule and apply it to the equation.
dv 2
( 2 t +5 )=2 ( 2 t2−1 ) +0=4 t
dt
Therefore, at t=4 s , the instantaneous acceleration is
2
4 t=4 ( 4 )=16 m/ s

I. Analyze and answer each problem below. Show your complete solution. Identify the given,
required, formula, proper solving, and your final answer.
1.A cyclist rides 3 km west and then turns around and rides 2 km east. (a) What is their
displacement? (b) What is their total distance? (c) What is the magnitude of their displacement
2.A car travels along a straight road 100 m east then 50m west. Find distance and displacement of
the car.
3.A person walks 4 meters east, then walks 3 meters north. Determine distance and displacement.
4. A runner travels around rectangle track with length = 50 meters and width = 20 meters. After
travels around rectangle track two times, runner back to starting point. Determine distance and
displacement.

II. Analyze each table below. Draw the corresponding graph each table.

Draw a displacement-time graph with the following values.

Time(s) Displacement
(m)
0 0
1.5 6
3 12
4.5 18
Find the velocity from t=1.5 sup to t=4.5s

Draw a velocity-time graph with the following values.

Time(s) Velocity (m/s)
0 0
1.5 6
3 12
4.5 18
Find the displacement from t=0 s up to t=4.5 s.

III. Instructions: Multiple Choices. Read and analyze each item. Encircle the letter of the
correct answer. 1 point each for numbers 1 – 5.

1. In a position-time graph, what information do we get by finding the slope?

a. displacement
b. velocity
c. acceleration
d. time

2. If the line in a position-time graph is a straight line, what can we infer to the object?
a. the object is moving with erratically
b. the object is moving ascending, then descending
c. the object is straight
d. the object is moving in uniform motion

3. The velocity of a particle is given by the equation v=4 t 2−8 t+15 , what is the instantaneous
acceleration at t=3 seconds?
a. 16 m/s
b. 16 m/s2
c. 27 m/s2
d. 11 m/s

4. Andrea jogs 3 km east, and then jogs 4 km north, what is the total distance covered?
a. 5 km
b. 7 km
c. 1 km
d. -1 km

5. George travels to school 7km away from his home, only to realize that it is a holiday after arriving,
he instantly goes back to his home. What is the displacement of his position?
a. 0 km
b. 7 km
c. 14 km
d. 21 km
6. What is the velocity of the train, in its proper SI units, if it travels a displacement of 25 km [N] in 30
minutes?
a. 0.83 km/min
b. 0.83 m/s
c. 416.67 m/s
d. 416.6 km/min

7. A baseball is pitched at 40 m/s going east. The batter hits the ball on a line drive straight toward
the pitcher at 50 m/s going west. What is the acceleration of the ball if it was in contact with the
1
bat for seconds.
30
a. 2700 m/s2 going east
b. 2700 m/s2 going west
c. 300 m/s2 going east
d. 300 m/s2 going west

8. Referring to graph 1, what is the average velocity from t=0 up to t=4?

a. 4 m/s
b. 5 m/s
c. 10 m/s
d. 40 m/s

9. Referring to graph 1, what is the displacement at t=3?

a. 3 m
b. 3 m/s
c. 30 m
d. 30 m/s

10. Referring to graph 1, what is the average velocity from, t=1 up to t=3?
a. 2 m
b. 20 m/s
c. 30 m
d. 30 m/s
You have learned a lot about acceleration. It is time now to apply and create something out of your
knowledge.
Create a Marble Run Machine using cardboards. The duration of the marble running from the start to
end-point should be 1 minute. Take a video of the set up with a timer.
See the photos below for your guidance and reference.

Analysis:
In which part of your set up does the marble run the slowest? Explain.
In which part of your set up does the marble run the fastest? Explain.

Outputs to be submitted in our LMS/Goggle Drive Folder:

Pictures of the set up
Analysis
Video
Fill in the bubbles below with words you thick are connected or related with the word at the center bubble.

Acceleration

3.7 Uniformly Accelerated Motion

In many types of motion, the acceleration is either constant or approximately so. For example,
you might accelerate a car at an approximately constant rate when a traffic light turns from red to
green.
Such cases are so common that a special set of equations has been derived for dealing with
them. One approach to the derivation of these equations is given in this section. Table 5.1 describes
the five equations for these special cases. (Note: v f =v 2 and v i=v 1)
 Keep in mind that these equations are valid only for constant acceleration (or situations in
which you can approximate the acceleration as being constant).
Example 1:

A car accelerates from rest to 48 m/s in 6 seconds. What is the average acceleration of the car? How
far did it travel during this time period?

Solution:
Identify the given
v i=0 v f =48 m/s Δ t=6s a=?

To solve this problem, we must first find an equation from table 5.1 that contains only the three
known variables and the one unknown variable. Usually, only one equation meets these
requirements. We can determine that equation 1 fits this description which is
v f =v i +a Δ t

We substitute the following values and we have

48 m/ s=0+a (6 s )
6 a s=48 m/ s
48 m/s 2
a= =8 m/s
6s

Now that we have value for acceleration, we can now use it to determine the displacement, if we refer
to table 5.1, we may use equations 2,3, or 4. For this example, we will use equation 2 which is

1
Δ d= ( v f + v i) Δ t
2
Δ d=0.5(48 m/s +0)(6 s)
Δ d=(24 m/s)(6 s)=144 m

Therefore, the car’s average acceleration is 8 m/s2 with a distance traveled of 144 m.

Example 2:

A physics teacher accelerates his motorcycle from 8.0 m/s to 11 m/s at a rate
of 0.50 m/s2. How far does the motorcycle travel? Consider forward to be
positive.

Solution:
Identify the given
v i=8 m/s v f =11 m/s a=0.5 m/s2 Δ d=?

For this to work, we need equation 5 from table 5.1, which is

2 2
v f =v i +2 a Δ d

The problem is asking us for the distance travelled. Therefore, we isolate

Δ d in equation 5:
( 11m/s )2=( 8 m/ s )2 +2(0.5 m/ s2 ) Δd
( 11m/s )2−( 8 m/s )2
Δ d=
2(0.5 m/s 2)
Δ d=57 m

Therefore, the motorcycle, will travel a distance of 57 m

Example 3:

Jane runs down the sidewalk, accelerating uniformly at a rate of

0.20 m/s2 from her initial velocity of 3.0 m/s. How long will it take
Jane to travel a distance of 12 m?

Solution:
Identify the given
2
a=0.20 m/s v i=3.0 m/s Δ d=12 m Δ t=?

The required equation is equation 3.

1 2
Δ d=v i Δ t + a Δ t
2

Equation 3 is a quadratic equation for the variable Δ t . We will have to solve this problem either by
factoring or by using the quadratic formula.
1 2 2
12 m=(3 m/ s) Δ t+ (0.2 m/s ) Δ t
2
2 2
(0.1 m/ s ) Δ t +(3 m/ s) Δ t −12 m=0

−b ± √ b −4 ac −3 ± √ 3 −4 ( 0.1 ) (−12 )
2 2
Δ t= =
2a 2 ( 0.1 )
−3 ± 3.7
Δ t=
0.2

Therefore, Δ t=3.5 s or Δ t=−33.5 s

We use the positive value because time cannot be negative. Therefore, Δ t=3.5 s. It takes Jane Bond
3.5 s to run 12 m.

3.8 Bodies in Free Fall

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), an Italian astronomer and physicist, is
credited with being the father of modern experimental science because he
combined experiment and calculation rather than accepting the
statements of an authority, namely Aristotle, regarding the study of nature.
His greatest contributions were in the field of mechanics, especially
dynamics. His experiments on falling bodies and inclined planes disproved
the accepted Aristotelean idea that a body’s rate of descent is proportional
to its weight. Galileo’s conclusions greatly upset Aristotelean scholars of
his day.
Today we know that when objects are dropped from a height close to Earth’s
surface, they accelerate downward at a rate of 9.8 m/s 2. This number is known as the acceleration
due to gravity. It does not depend on the object’s mass. For this value to be valid, we must assume
that air resistance is negligible, and that Earth is a sphere of constant density and radius.

Example 1:
A baseball is thrown straight up in the air,
leaving the thrower’s hand at an initial
velocity of 8.0 m/s.

a) How high does the ball go?

b) How long will it take the ball to reach maximum height?
c) How long will it take before the ball returns to the thrower’s hand?

Solution:
There are three important things to note in this example:
1) After the ball is released upward, its acceleration is in the opposite direction of its motion; that is,
the ball is moving upward, but acceleration due to gravity is downward. Using our standard coordinate
system, we will make acceleration negative.

(2) At its maximum height, the ball will come to rest. After that, it will fall back down into the thrower’s
hand. This problem is an example of symmetry because the amount of time it takes the ball to travel
upward to maximum height equals the amount of time it takes the ball to fall back down. Also
because of symmetry, the velocity with which the ball strikes the thrower’s hand equals its initial
upward velocity.

3) The acceleration is constant in both magnitude and direction for the entire motion. For this reason,
the ball slows down as it goes up and speeds up as it falls down.

Given:
v i=8 m/s a=−9.8 m/ s
2
v f =0

a. To find the maximum height of the ball, we use the equation

2 2
v f =v i +2 a Δ d
Isolate Δ d to get
2 2
v f −v i
Δ d=
2a
0−8 m/ s −8 m/ s
Δ d= 2
= 2
2(−9.8 m/s ) −19.6 m/s
Δ d=3.27 m
Therefore, 3.27 m is the maximum height of the ball.

b. We will use equation 1 to find Δ t

v f =v i +a Δ t
Isolate Δ t and we have
v f −v i
Δ t=
a
0−8 m/s
Δ t= 2
−9.8 m/ s
Δ t=0.82 s
Therefore, the ball reaches maximum height in 0.82 s.

c. By the time the ball goes up and down, the displacement will have been 0,
and with that we have

Δ d=0 v i=8 m/s a=−9.8 m/ s

2
Δ t=?

Using equation 3

1 2
Δ d=v i Δ t + a Δ t
2
1 2 2
0=(8 m/ s) Δt + (−9.8 m/ s )t
2
2 2
(−4.9 m/ s ) Δ t +(8 m/s ) Δ t=0

By factoring, we have
Δt =0 ,∨ Δt=1.6 s

Therefore, it takes 1.6 s, for the ball to return to the thrower’s hand.
Analyze each problem below. Observe proper way of solving as what we had in previous examples.
Show your complete solution.

1. A butterfly accelerates over a distance of 10 cm in 3.0 s, increasing its velocity to 5.0 cm/s.
What was its initial velocity?
2. A CF-18 fighter jet flying at 350 m/s engages its afterburners and accelerates at a rate of 12.6
m/s 2 to a velocity of 600 m/s. How far does the fighter jet travel during acceleration?
3. A rock is thrown vertically upward from the edge of a cliff at an initial velocity of 10.0 m/s. It hits
the beach below the cliff 4.0 s later. How far down from the top of the cliff is the beach?
Consider up to be positive.
4. An arrow is shot straight up in the air at 80.0 m/s. Find
a) its maximum height.
b) how long it will take the arrow to reach maximum height.
c) the length of time the arrow is in the air.

Instructions: Multiple Choice. Read and analyze each item. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. An airplane accelerates down a runway at 3.20 m/s 2 for 32.8 s until is finally lifts off the ground.
What is the distance traveled before takeoff?
A. 1720 m C. 3442 m
B. 1720 m/s D. 3442 m/s

2. A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a time of 5.21 seconds for a distance of 110
m. What is the acceleration of the car?
A. 2.61 m/s2 C. 184.15 m/s2
B. 1492.7 m/s2 D. 8.1 m/s2

3. Chuck tries bungee jumping for the first time. If Chuck free falls for 2.60 seconds, what will be his
final velocity?
A. 25.5 m/s C. 33.1 m/s
B. 51.0 m/s D. 66.2 m/s

4. A pickup truck accelerates uniformly from 18.5 m/s to 46.1 m/s in 2.47 seconds. What is the
acceleration of the truck?
A. 11.2 m/s2 C. 39.9 m/s2
B. 22.4 m/s2 D. 79.8 m/s2

5. The observation deck of tall skyscraper 370 m above the street. What is the time required for a
penny to free fall from the deck to the street below?
A. 60.21 seconds C. 8.69 seconds
B. 17.23 seconds D. 75.5 seconds

6. A dragster accelerates to a speed of 112 m/s over a distance of 398 m. Find the acceleration
(assume uniform) of the dragster.
A. 15.8 m/s2 C. 105.57 m/s2
2
B. 31.6 m/s D. 211.13 m/s2

7. A train brakes from 40 m/s to a stop over a distance of 100 m. What is the acceleration of the train?
A. 0.4 m/s2 C. -8 m/s2
B. 0.8 m/s2 D. 16 m/s2
8. Referring to question number 7, how much time does it take the train to stop?
A. 2.5 seconds C. 4.5 seconds
B. 3 seconds D. 5 seconds

9. A diver jumps from a 3.0 m board with an initial upward velocity of 5.5 m/s. What is the time the
diver was in the air?
A. 1.5 seconds C. 4.5 seconds
B. 3 seconds D. 0.54 seconds

10. Referring to question number 9, what is the maximum height to which she ascended in the pool?
A. 1.5 m C. 4.5 m
B. 3 m D. 5.4 m

If you drop two objects, a light one and a heavy one, from the same height, which object will hit the
ground first?
At this part you will be making an experiment which will summarize the lesson 5.
Materials:
Meter stick
Heavy Rock
Crumpled Paper
Timer
Camera

Instructions:
1. Ask one of your family member to help you making this activity. Using the meter stick. Measure a –
meter height from the ground.
2. Prepare your camera to cover the whole set up of the activity. Make sure that camera can cover from the
highest point to the lowest point of your set up.
3. Ask your family to hold the paper and you will hold the heavy rock. Position the two objects 3 meters
from the ground.
4. Count 3, 2, 1 with your family and simultaneously release the objects.
5. Do the steps number 3 and 4 two more times and observe.
6. List down your observation to be dubbed in your video while showing your experiment.
7. Edit your video and submit it to your teacher.
Analysis:
1. Which one hit the ground first?
2. What are the possible reasons why it reached the ground first?
3. What do you think will happen in your experiment if you haven’t crumpled the paper?
Conclusion:
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