Concepts of position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration

Study particle motion along a straight line

Erratic motion: the graphical method

Projectile motion two dimensional motion

Rectilinear Kinematics - Defines a particles position, displacement, velocity, and

acceleration at any instant in time
Position

A particles position is defined from an origin.

We must always define a coordinate system to a problem.

Displacement

Change in a particles position,

Vector quantity, i.e. has a magnitude and direction

Velocity

Rate of change of displacement

Vector quantity, i.e. has a magnitude and direction

s
t

v avg =

v instantaneous =

ds
dt

Speed

Average speed is total distance traveled by a particle, sT, divided by the

elapsed time

(speed )avg =

sT
t

Acceleration
Rate of change of velocity
Vector quantity, i.e. has a magnitude and direction

aavg =

v
t

ainstantaneous =

dv d 2 s
=
dt d t 2

The meaning of the sign of

depends on the direction of

(coordinate system)

and

+ve,

is -ve

is -ve

particle is accelerating in the negative direction

-ve,

is +ve

particle is decelerating in the positive direction

-ve,

of a particle travels in the same direction

particle is accelerating in the positive direction

+ve,

is +ve

particle is decelerating in the negative direction

When particles motion is erratic, it is described graphically using a series

of curves

A graph is used to described the relationship with any 2 of the variables:

a, v, s, t

We use

ds
dv
v

av
dt
ds

dv
a
dt

Example:

A bicycle moves along a straight road such that it position is

described by the graph as shown. Construct the v-t and a-t
graphs for 0 t 30s.

dv
ds
dv
a
v
av
dt
dt
ds

Example:
A test car starts from rest and travels along a straight track such that it
accelerates at a constant rate for 10 s and then decelerates at a
constant rate. Draw the v-t and s-t graphs and determine the time t
needed to stop the car. How far has the car traveled?

av

ds
dv
dv
v
a
dt
ds
dt

dv 10 dt , v 10t
0

v-t Graph
Using initial condition v = 0 when t = 0,

0 t 10 s a 10;
When t = 10s, v = 100m/s,

10 s t t ; a 2;