PHY10 Lesson 2

Motion Along a
Straight Line
 Position, Displacement, and Average Velocity
Consider the motion of a car below.

At time t1 = 1s , the car is at position x1 =19m and At time t2 = 4s ,

the car is at position x2 = 277m.
The displacement of the car is: x  x2  x1  277m 19m  258m
The time interval is: t  t2  t1  4s 1s  3s

x x2  x1
The average velocity of the car is: vav  vav 
t t 2  t1

258m
vav   86m / s
3s
 Graphs of Motion Part 1: Position vs. Time
x (m)

x (m)

x (m)
t (s) t (s) t (s)

The object is at rest. The object is moving The object is moving

with constant velocity in with constant velocity in
the positive direction. the negative direction.
x (m)

x (m)
t (s) t (s)

The object is moving

with increasing velocity The object is moving
(accelerating). with decreasing velocity
(decelerating).
EXAMPLE 1:

(a) average speed

(200m)  (280m) 480m
vave    4.4m / s
 5m / s    4m / s  40s  70s
200m 280m

(b) average velocity

(200m)  (280m)  80m

vave    0.73m / s
 5m / s    4m / s 
200m 280m
40s  70s
 Instantaneous Velocity
instantaneous velocity (v) is the velocity of a body at a specific instant
of time or at any specific point along the path.

instantaneous velocity (v) is the limit of average velocity of a body as

the time interval approaches zero.

x
v(t )  lim
t 0 t

instantaneous velocity (v) is the derivative of displacement with respect

to time.

dx
v (t ) 
dt
EXAMPLE 2:

(a) x(t )  (2.40m / s 2 )t 2  (0.120m / s 3 )t 3

x(0)  (2.40)(0) 2  (0.120)(0) 3  0

x(10)  (2.40)(10) 2  (0.120)(10)3  120m

x2  x1 120m  0
vave    12m / s
t 2  t1 10m  0
EXAMPLE 2:

dx d
(b) v(t )   (2.40t 2  0.120t 3 )  (4.80m / s 2 )t  (0.360m / s 3 )t 2
dt dt
v(0)  (4.80)(0)  (0.360)(0) 2  0
v(5)  (4.80)(5)  (0.360)(5) 2  15m / s
v(10)  (4.80)(10)  (0.360)(10) 2  12m / s

(c) 0  4.80t  0.360t 2 t  13.3s

 Average and Instantaneous Acceleration

acceleration (a) is the time rate of change in velocity.

v v2  v1
average acceleration (aav) aav  
t t 2  t1

instantaneous acceleration (a) is the limit of average acceleration as the

time interval approaches zero.

v dv
a(t )  lim a (t ) 
t 0 t
dt
EXAMPLE 3:

(a) v(t )  (3.00m / s)  (0.100m / s 3 )t 2

v(0)  (3.00m / s)  (0.100m / s 3 )(0) 2  3.00m / s
v(5)  (3.00m / s)  (0.100m / s 3 )(5s) 2  0.500m / s
v  v (3.00m / s )  (0.500m / s)
aave  2 1   0.500m / s 2
t 2  t1 (5s  0)

(b) a(t )  (0.200m / s 3 )t a(0)  (0.200m / s 3 )(0)  0

a(5)  (0.200m / s 3 )(5s )  1.00m / s 2

EXAMPLE 3:

(c)
 Graphs of Motion Part 2: Velocity vs. Time
t (s)
v (m/s)

v (m/s)

v (m/s)
t (s) t (s)

The object is at rest. The object is moving The object is moving

with constant velocity in with constant velocity in
the positive direction. the negative direction.

v (m/s)
v (m/s)

t (s) t (s)

The object is moving

with increasing velocity The object is moving
(uniformly accelerating). with decreasing velocity
(uniformly decelerating).
Graphs of Motion Part 3: Acceleration vs. Time

a (m/s2)

a (m/s2)
t (s) t (s)

The object is moving The object is moving

with constant velocity in with constant velocity in
the positive direction. the negative direction.

a (m/s2)
t (s)
a (m/s2)

t (s)

The object is moving The object is moving

with increasing velocity with decreasing velocity
(uniformly accelerating). (uniformly decelerating).
 Uniformly Accelerated Motion (UAM)

uniformly accelerated motion is motion with constant acceleration.

Equations of Uniformly Accelerated Motion

x
Equation 1: vav  assuming that t0 = 0.
t

vo  v
Equation 2: vav 
2

v  vo
Equation 3: a assuming that t0 = 0.
t
Equations of Uniformly Accelerated Motion
dx x t t
Recall: v
dt
dx  v dt xo
dx   vdt   (vo  at )dt
to to

Equation 4: x  xo  vot  12 at 2 x  vot  12 at 2

dv dx
Recall: a dv  a dt vdv  a dt  adx
dt dt
1  v 2 vo 
2
x 1 v
xo dx  a vo vdv x  xo   
a 2

2 
v  vo2 2
Equation 5: x 
2a
EXAMPLE 4:

GIVEN: x = 70.0m ; t = 7.00 s ; v = 15.0 m/s

FIND: (a) vo and (b) a

(a) x 70m v  vo 15m / s  vo

vav    10.0m / s vav    10.0m / s
t 7s 2 2
vo  2(10m / s)  (15m / s)  5.00m / s

(b) v  vo (15m / s)  (5m / s)

a   1.43m / s 2
t 7s
#5:
#5:
Chapter 02, Problem 015
A particle's position is given by x = 10.0 - 12.00t + 3t2, in which x is in meters and t is
in seconds. (a) What is its velocity at t= 1 s? (b) Is it moving in the positive or
negative direction of x just then? (c) What is its speed just then? (d) Is the speed
increasing or decreasing just then? (Try answering the next two questions without
further calculation.) (e) Is there ever an instant when the velocity is zero? If so, give
the time t; if not, answer "0". (f) Is there a time after t = 3 s when the particle is
moving in the negative direction of x? If so, give the time t; if not, answer "0".
Chapter 02, Problem 017
The position of a particle moving along the x axis is given in centimeters
by x = 9.17 + 1.17 t3, where t is in seconds. Calculate(a) the average
velocity during the time interval t = 2.00 s to t = 3.00 s; (b) the
instantaneous velocity at t = 2.00 s; (c) the instantaneous velocity
at t = 3.00 s; (d) the instantaneous velocity at t = 2.50 s; and (e) the
instantaneous velocity when the particle is midway between its positions
at t = 2.00 s and t = 3.00 s.
Chapter 02, Problem 038
(a) If the maximum acceleration that is tolerable for passengers in a
subway train is 1.74 m/s2 and subway stations are located806 m apart,
what is the maximum speed a subway train can attain between
stations? (b) What is the travel time between stations? (c) If a subway
train stops for 23.0 s at each station, what is the maximum average
speed of the train, from one start-up to the next?
Chapter 02, Problem 040
You are driving toward a traffic signal when it turns yellow. Your speed is
the legal speed limit of v0 = 55 km/h; your best deceleration rate has the
magnitude a = 5.18 m/s2. Your best reaction time to begin braking
is t = 0.75 s. To avoid having the front of your car enter the intersection
after the light turns red, should you brake to a stop or continue to move
at 55 km/h if the distance to the intersection and the duration of the
yellow light are (a) 37 m and 2.9 s, and (b) 32 m and 1.6 s? Give an
answer of brake, continue, either (if either strategy works), or neither (if
neither strategy works and the yellow duration is inappropriate).
 Free Fall (UAM along the y-axis)
free fall is motion under the action of the force of gravity alone (air
resistance is neglected).
• a freely-falling body has a constant acceleration called the acceleration
due to gravity g = - 9.80 m/s2 (always directed downward).

Equations of Free Fall NOTE: Follow correct sign

y convention. All quantities with
Equation 1: vav  downward direction should have a
t negative sign.
vo  v
Equation 2: vav  downward velocity: - v
2 upward velocity: +v
v  vo downward displacement: - y
Equation 3: g upward displacement: + y
t acceleration: g= -9.80 m/s2
Equation 4: y  vot  12 gt 2
v 2  vo
2
Equation 5: y 
2g
#6:
#7:

ANSWERS:
(a) y1 = 10.1m; v1 = 5.2 m/s and y4 = -18.4 m; v1 =-24.2 m/s

(b) v =±11.3 m/s (c) y =+11.5 m (d) a = g = - 9.8 m/s2

#8
Chapter 02, Problem 054
A stone is dropped into a river from a bridge 45.4 m above the water.
Another stone is thrown vertically down 1.91 s after the first is dropped.
Both stones strike the water at the same time. What is the initial speed of
the second stone?
Answer: 34.5 m/s

Chapter 02, Problem 060

A rock is thrown vertically upward from ground level at time t = 0.
At t = 1.7 s it passes the top of a tall tower, and 1.2 s later it reaches
its maximum height. What is the height of the tower?

Answers: 34 m

Chapter 02, Problem 062

A basketball player grabbing a rebound jumps 77 cm vertically. How much
total time (ascent and descent) does the player spend(a) in the top 10
cm of this jump and (b) in the bottom 10 cm? Do your results explain
why such players seem to hang in the air at the top of a jump?

Answers: (a) 0.286 s (b) 0.0533s

Chapter 02, Problem 063
A drowsy cat is looking at a window from across the room, and sees a
flowerpot that sail first up and then down past the window. The pot is
in view for a total of 0.46 s, and the top-to-bottom height of the
window is 2.02 m. How high above the window top does the flowerpot
go?
Answers: 2.99 m
 Projectile Motion
A body moving with constant horizontal velocity while in free fall is called
a projectile and its motion is called projectile motion.

velocity of projectile:

v  vx  v y
2 2

v x  vo cos 
v y  vo sin   gt

vy
tan  
vx
Motion along x-axis: constant velocity

x vo sin 2
2
vx  R
t |g|

Motion along y-axis: free fall

v y  vo sin   gt

y  vo sin  t  gt 1
2
2
H  ymax 
vo sin  
2

2| g |
v y  vo y
2 2

y 
2g
Chapter 04, Problem 023
A projectile is fired horizontally from a gun that is 35.0 m above flat
ground, emerging from the gun with a speed of 170 m/s. (a)How long
does the projectile remain in the air? (b) At what horizontal distance
from the firing point does it strike the ground? (c)What is the magnitude
of the vertical component of its velocity as it strikes the ground?

Answers: (a) 2.67 s (b) 454 m (c) 26.2 m/s

Chapter 04, Problem 027
A certain airplane has a speed of 261.5 km/h and is diving at an angle
of θ = 29.0° below the horizontal when the pilot releases a radar decoy
(see the figure). The horizontal distance between the release point and
the point where the decoy strikes the ground is d = 633 m. (a) How long
is the decoy in the air? (b) How high was the release point?

Answers: (a) 9.96 s (b) 837 m

Chapter 04, Problem 028
In the figure, a stone is projected at a cliff of height h with an initial
speed of 49.0 m/s directed at an angle θ0 = 55.0° above the horizontal.
The stone strikes at A, 5.76 s after launching. Find (a) the height h of the
cliff, (b) the speed of the stone just before impact at A, and (c) the
maximum height H reached above the ground.
Chapter 04, Problem 045
In the figure, a ball is launched with a velocity of magnitude 8.00 m/s, at
an angle of 47.0° to the horizontal. The launch point is at the base of a
ramp of horizontal lengthd1 = 6.00 m and height d2 = 3.60 m. A plateau
is located at the top of the ramp. (a) Does the ball land on the ramp or
the plateau? When it lands, what are the (b)magnitude and (c) angle of
its displacement from the launch point?
Answers: (a) 17.8 m/s
(b) in the river, 28.5 m from
the near bank