Me c h a n i c P a g e | 1

IIUI | Recti linear Moti on By: Kaleem Ari f 1

RECTILINEAR MOTION
Chapter # 08

Definition:
"
The simplest motion i n nature is t he moti on along a strai ght line or
the rectilinear moti on."
VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION OF PARTICLE EXECUTING RECTILINEAR
MOTION:
Suppose the distance of a parti cle "P" from a fixed point "O" be "x". Then at any ti me
t, the veloci ty of part icle is gi ven by,
V=
dx
dt

And accelerat ion of that part icle is gi ven by,
2
2
d x
a
dt
=


Also,
2
2
dv d dx d x
a
dx dt dt dt
| |
= = =
|
\ .

OR
dv dv dx dv
a . v
dt dx dt dx
= = =
So, acceler ation can be expressed in three ways in recti li near motion as:
2
2
d x dv dv
a v
dt dx dt
= = =
PROBLEM #01:
Fi nd velocit y and dist ance covered by t he particle in time t, when the
particle is moving with constant acceleration "a".

Proof:

Suppose a parti cle "P" is moving wit h a constant accelerati on ' a' along a
strai ght line. Therefore
dv
a
dt
= (1)



Me c h a n i c P a g e | 2

IIUI | Recti linear Moti on By: Kaleem Ari f 2


On i ntegrating equat ion (1), get dv = adt or v adt c = +
}

Or v at c = +

(2)
Suppose the par ticle was moving with i nitial veloci ty u at t=0, then by using initial
Condit ion on equati on (2), get C = u put this value in above equat ion
So v at u = + or v u at = + (1)
Also we can write
dx
u at
dt
= +
Again on integr ating get, ( ) dx u at dt = +
}

And
2
1
2
x udt atdt ut at C = + = + +
} }

Using initial condi tion that when t=0, x= 0, and velocit y =u
We have C =0

2
1
2
x ut at = + (2)
Again using
dv
a v
dx
= , on separati ng vari able, vdv = adx
Integr ating, v dv a dx =
}
, 0r
2
2
v
ax c = +

using initiol conJition, tot is wcn x = u, : = u tcn c =
u
2
2

Putti ng this value in above equation we get, :
2
u
2
= 2ax (3)
Equation (1) , (2) and (3) are our required results.

PROBLEM #02:
Solve the equation
2
2
d x
a
dt
= , using t he init ial conditions t = u, x = u onJ t =
t
1
, x = x
1
also finu the initial velocity.
Proof:
In this problem we have no i nfor mation about the velocit y of part icle ' p'
at any time.
0i:cn
d
2
x
dt
2
= a (1)
On integrating equation (1), get
1
dx
adt c
dt
= +
}

Therefore, we cannot apply init ial condition.
So, Again int egrat ing we get ( )
2
2 1 2
1
2
1
x at+c dt c x= at c t c = + + +
}
(2)