KINEMATICS

Frame of Reference, Coordinate System and

Vectors
Velocity
y
Velocity is the rate of change of the position of an
object,
j , equivalent
q to a specification
p of its speed
p
and direction of motion.
Instantaneous velocity
Acceleration
Acceleration is a vector quantity that is defined as the
rate at which an object changes its velocity. An object
is accelerating if it is changing its velocity.

[a]=m/s2
Motion in one dimension

Average velocity = displacement / elapsed time.

vx av =x/t
The instantaneous speed is simply the magnitude of
the instantaneous velocity.
Instantaneous velocity vx =dx/dt
Average acceleration ax av =v/t
Instantaneous acceleration ax ins =dv/dt
Uniform motion in one dimension
a = 0; v = constant
x = x0 + v t
Motion in one dimension with constant acceleration
a = const ; v is changed by time;
v = v0 + a t ;
x = x + v0t + a t 2 / 2.
2
The acceleration is constant the motion is
measured from t = 0 ; The fact velocity and
acceleration come in, however, with positive
and negative signs.
Useful formulas
1. Straight line uniform motion
G G G G
v = const , r (t ) = r0 + v t , x = x0 + v t
2. Accelerated motion
G 2
G G G G G G G a t
a = const , v (t ) = v0 + a t , r (t ) = r0 + v0t +
2
a t2 v0 + v v 2 v02
s = v0 t + , s= t, s = (s is displacment)
2 2 2a
Projectile motion
From measurement we know that free fall
acceleration is constant near the surface of the
Earth and g9.8 m/s2 G 2
G G G G G G G g t
g = const , v (t ) = v0 + g t , r (t ) = r0 + v0t +
2
For freely falling motion (upward or downward)
g t2 v0 + v v 2 v02
h = v0 t + , h= t, h = (h is height)
2 2 2g
g must be taken with positive sign for downward
motion and negative sign for upward motion