GENERAL PHYSICS 1

WEEK 3

KINEMATICS - the study that deals with the description of motion. Kinematics uses the following
basic concepts of motion: distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration.

DISTANCE AND DISPLACEMENT

Motion may be described by specifying how far something has traveled in changing position
and time. The total path length traversed by an object moving from one location to another is known
as distance while the separation of that object and a reference point is known as displacement.
Distance is a scalar quantity which has only magnitude while displacement is a vector quantity which
has both magnitude and direction.

Consider Figure 6.2. The distance between the boy and the Physics laboratory as Well as the
distance between the girl and the Physics laboratory is 5.0 meters. The displacement of the boy as he
moves in a straight line from his original position toward the Physics laboratory is 5.0m East, while the
displacement of the girl as she moves in a straight line from her original position toward the Physics
laboratory is 5.0 m West. Even though both of hem move through equal distances, their displacements
are different because the boy moves to the east while the girl moves to the west.

SPEED AND VELOCITY

The motion of an object can only be described by determining how fast or how slow it moves.
The measure of how fast something is moving is known as speed. Speed is the rate at which distance
is covered at a given time.

Experience tells you that a vehicle rarely travels at a constant speed especially in heavy traffic.
You can tell the speed of a vehicle at any instant by looking at the vehicle’s speedometer. The speed at
any instant is called instantaneous speed. You will notice that a vehicle may travel down a street at 50
km/h in open stretches while overtaking other vehicles, slow down at 30 km / h because of traffic, or
even zero at a red light. The vehicle travels at different speeds during its entire trip. For the entire trip,
you must only consider one speed – the average speed. Average speed is the distance travelled
divided by the total time elapsed in traveling that distance.

distance traveled ( m)
Average speed (v) =
total time elapsed ( s)
d 2−d 1 ∆d
v = t −t = ∆ t
2 1

When an object gains speed at a constant rate, the average speed can be calculated on the basis of the
two speeds (vi and vf) recorded. Thus, the average speed is:
v i +v f
v=
2
When a direction is associated with speed, you will have new quantity known as velocity. For uniform
motion in a straight line, the magnitude of the net displacement is the same as the displacement
traveled in a given time interval. The magnitude of the velocity is likewise the same as the speed. The
difference is that speed is a scalar quantity whereas velocity is a vector quantity.
From the definition of velocity, it follows that to have a constant velocity, both speed and direction
must be constant. Motion at constant velocity is motion in a straight line at uniform speed.
To simplify matters, the direction of motion will be set aside since, in a rectilinear motion, the negative
values of d and v indicate motion to the left and positive values to the right.

Examples:
1. On his way to school, Jed traveled 100 m North, 300 m East, 100 m North, 100 m East, 100 m
North.
a. Find the total distance traveled by Jed.
b. Determine the displacement made by Jed.
Solutions:
a. dT = d1+d2+d3+d4+d5
= 100 m + 300 m + 100 m + 100 m +100 m
dT = 700 m

2 2
b. dT = √ d x +d y

= √ (400 m)2 +(300 m)2

d T = 500 m

2. Rachel watches a thunderstorm from her window. She sees the flash of lightning bolt and
begins counting the seconds until she hears the clap of thunder 5.0 seconds later. Assume that
the speed of sound in air is 340 m/s and the light was seen instantaneously. How far was the
lightning bolt?
Given: v = 340.0 m/s
∆ t = 5. 0 s
Find: ∆ d
Solution: ∆ d=v . ∆ t
= (340.0 m/s) (5.0 s)
∆ d=1700 m

3. A car starts from rest and attains a speed of 50 m/s in 15 seconds. How far has the car travelled
in 15 seconds?
Given: vi = 0
vf = 50 m/s
t = 15 s
Find: d
Solution: d = v . t
v i +v f 0+50 m/s
=( ¿t = ( ) (15 s)
2 2
= (25 m/s) (15s)
d= 375 m
ACCELERATION: CHANGING VELOCITY
For the motion of an object in which the velocity changes in either magnitude (speed) or direction or
bot, you will have a new quantity known as acceleration which is a vector quantity. An object is
accelerating when it speed up, slows down (usually called deceleration) or changes direction.
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity at a given time interval.
m
change∈velocity( )
Acceleration = s
elapsed time(s)
∆v
a = t −t
2 1

v f −vi
a =
t
where vf is the final velocity and vi is the initial velocity. The unit for acceleration is m/s2.
Sample problem:
Michael is driving his sports car at 30 m/s when he sees a dog on the road ahead. He slams on
the brakes and comes to a stop in 3.0 seconds. What was the acceleration of Michael`s car?
Given: vi = 30 m/s
vf = 0
∆ t = 3.0 s
Find: a
Solution:
v f −vi
a =
t
0−30 m/ s
=
3.0 s
a = -10 m/s2
The car slows down at the rate of 10 m/s every second. This negative acceleration which is known as
deceleration.

KINEMATIC EQUATIONS
d
Equation 1. v=
t
vf + vi
Equation 2. v=
2
v f −v i
Equation 3. a=
t
v f +v i
Equation 4. d= ( 2 ) t

a t2
Equation 5. d=v i t+
2

vf 2−vi 2
Equation 6. d=
2a

Summary of Kinematic Equations

Type of Motion Behavior of Physical Equation

Quantities
Stationary Object or Object  Constant d = constant
at Rest displacement v =0
 Zero velocity a = 0
 Zero acceleration

Constant Velocity or Uniform  Increasing or d = vt

Velocity decreasing ∆d
v =
displacement ∆t
 Constant velocity a = 0
 Constant speed
 No change in
direction
 Zero acceleration

Constant Acceleration or  Increasing or vf 2−vi 2

Uniformly Accelerated
d=
decreasing 2a
Motion displacement
 Increasing or a t2
decreasing magnitude d=v i t+
2
of velocity
 Constant speed but v f −vi
changing direction a = constant= =
t
 Constant acceleration

Sample problems:

1. Albert is riding his scooter at a velocity of 80 km/h, when he sees an old woman crossing the road 45 m
away. He immediately steps hard on the brakes to get the maximum deceleration of 7.5 m / s2. How far
will he go before stopping? Will he hit the old woman?
Given: vi = 80 km/h or 22. 22 m/s ( convert km/h to m/s)
vf = 0
a = -7.5 m/s2
Find: d
vf 2−vi 2
Solution: d=
2a
2 m 2
0 −(22.22
)
= s
2(−7.5 m/ s¿ ¿2) ¿
= 32. 92 m
Since the old woman is 45 m away, Albert will be able to stop without hitting her.

2. A car speeds up from 40 km/h to 55 km/h to overtake a truck. If this requires 15 s, what is the (a)
acceleration and (b) distance traveled by the car?

v f −v i
a. Solution: a=
t
m
15.3 −11.1 m/s
= s
15 s
a = 0.28 m/s2

b. Solution: d= ( v 2+v ) t
f i
m m
15.3 +11.1
=( s s
)(15 s)
2
d = 198 m

In describing the motion of an object, we must be able to describe the position or location of the object at all times, to find out whether
it has moved to a new position or not. Unless it has changed its position, there is no way by which we can tell it is moving or in motion.

How Do We Describe Motion?

To understand physics, we have to understand motion. An object is in motion if its position changes in relation to some fixed object
during a given time. It is said to have moved if it changed position in relation to a fixed object like a tree, a post, or any stationary object
you can use as a frame of reference.

Motion depends on a frame of reference. A frame of reference is the viewpoint of the observer of motion. It is used to specify precisely
the location of objects. Take as an example a passenger in a train. Two reference frames may be considered: the train and the railroad.
The train, as soon as the passenger enters it, starts to move.

The passenger walks inside the train to look for a seat. While doing this, the passenger is moving in relation to the train and the railroad.
He then spots a seat and sit down. While the passenger is seated, he is not moving inrelation to the train but is moving in relation to the
railroad.

For a student who is sitting on a stool in a physics laboratory, he is not moving in relation to the laboratory, but the Earth carries him
along along as it revolves around the Sun. So, we see that motion is relative. If we choose the Earth as our frame of reference, we say
that the student is sitting still. If we still choose the Solar System as our frame of reference, we say that the student is moving around the
sun.

Distance and Displacement

When a body is in motion, it moves along a certain path. Consider the motion of a boy who walks 30 m due east, and then turns and
walks 20 m due west. The boy has walked 50 m. However, he is not 50 m away from his starting position but only 10 m away. Distance
is the length of the actual paths traveled. In this case, the distnace traveled is 560 m.

Displacement is the length and direction of the change in position measured from the starting point. SO in our example, the
displacement is 10 m due east. Displacement is a vector quantity that involves both the amount of distance traveled and the direction of
motion. On the other hand, distance is a scalar quantity. 

Speed

The speed of an object is measure of how fast it moves. If the object is moving from one position to another in a measured time, its
average speed, v, is obtained by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken to cover the distance. in mathematical form, 

           Average speed = distance traveled  / time taken to cover the distance

                    v = d/t           where v is the average speed,

                                         d is the distance traveled, and

                                         t is the time taken to cover the distance.

The SI unit for speed is meter per second or m/s. For instance, if a bus has covered 2.4 km (2,400 m) in 4 minutes (240 s), then its
average speed is 

               v = 2400 m / 240 s= 10 m/s

The above value is not taken at one particular instant during the travel, but from the ratio of the total distance traveled during a ceratin
period.

Instantaneous speed - is speed at an instant of time.

Velocity

In some situations,  as in the case of an airplane pilot, the direction of motion is just as important as the speed. A speed in a given
direction is called velocity. Velocity is a vector quantity and is defined as the rate of change in displacement.

               Average velocity = total displacement  / time interval

A car travelling at 80 km/h north and another car traveling at 80 km/h sourh have the same speed but different velocities. If the velocity
of a car is calculated from point to point of its travel, and there is no change in its magnitude and direction, the car  is said to be at
constant velocity. But cars seldom travel at constant velocity. From time to time,a cra`s velocity changes in magnitude or direction. Its
velocity at different time intervals is called instantaneous velocity.  

Acceleration

Acceleration, a, is defined as the rate of change in velocity with time. 

        Acceleration = change in velocity / time interval 

Change in speed is usually written as Δv, where the symbol Δ is read as delta or change. Δv is expressed as vf - vi, where vf means final
velocity, and vi means initial velocity. If the body starts from rest, vi is equal to zero. The change in time is denoted as Δt, where Δt = t-0.
So Δt = t. The equation above can be written as

                  a = Δv / Δt     or      a = vf - vi / t

Free - fall Motion

Freely falling bodies are good examples of uniformly accelerated motion. The body moves under the action of the gravitational force of
the Earth only when air resistance is neglected. It is found that all freely falling bodies are accelerated toward the center of the earth. 

Equations:

1.         v = d / t

2.         v =  vf + vi / 2

3.         v   = vf - vi / t

4.         d  =  ( vf + vi / 2) t

5.         d  =  vit + (at^2 / 2)

6.         d   = vf^2 - vi^2  /  2a

7.         d =  vit +  (at^2 / 2)

8.         vf^2 =   vi^2 + 2ad

9.         vf  = vi  + at

Read your book on page 65 to 86.

KINEMATICS
Solve the following. Take a picture of your answers, then upload the picture in the comment box
below. The picture should be in a portrait format.

airplane accelerates down a runway at 3.20 m/s 2 for 32.8 s until is finally lifted off the ground.
_1.    An
Determine the distance traveled before takeoff.

__2.    A
car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a time of 5.21 seconds for a distance of 110 m.
Determine the acceleration of the car.

__3.    UptonChuck is riding the Giant Drop at Great America. If Upton free falls for 2.60 seconds, what will
be his final velocity and how far will he fall?

__4.    A
race car accelerates uniformly from 18.5 m/s to 46.1 m/s in 2.47 seconds. Determine the
acceleration of the car and the distance traveled.

__5.    A
feather is dropped on the moon from a height of 1.40 meters. The acceleration of gravity on the
moon is 1.67 m/s2. Determine the time for the feather to fall to the surface of the moon.

__6.    Rocket-powered sleds are used to test the human response to acceleration. If a rocket-powered sled
is accelerated to a speed of 444 m/s in 1.83 seconds, then what is the acceleration, and what is the
distance that the sled travels?
__7.    A
bike accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 7.10 m/s over a distance of 35.4 m. Determine
the acceleration of the bike.

__8.    An
engineer is designing the runway for an airport. Of the planes that will use the airport, the lowest
acceleration rate is likely to be 3 m/s2. The takeoff speed for this plane will be 65 m/s. Assuming this
minimum acceleration, what is the minimum allowed length for the runway?

__9.    A
car traveling at 22.4 m/s skids to a stop in 2.55 s. Determine the skidding distance of the car
(assume uniform acceleration).

__10. A kangaroo is capable of jumping to a height of 2.62 m. Determine the takeoff speed of the
kangaroo.