GROUP 5: SHEILA MARIE M.

AMIGO, REE
FREDELENE P. FERNANDEZ, RN

Equations of Kinematics for Constant Acceleration and its Applications

Position – relative to frame of reference (x or y)

Displacement – change in position (meters) - x = x2-x1

Not distance!!
1. Distance – scalar (magnitude)

2. Displacement – vector (magnitude and direction)

Must give a direction - For example East/West, up/down

x
Average Speed – distance per unit time (scalar) v
Average Velocity – displacement per unit time (vector)(meters/second) t
x = displacement
t = change in time
 v v  v0
2
Average Acceleration – change in velocity per unit time (vector) (meters/second ) a 
t t  t 0
v is final velocity
v0 is initial velocity (or at time 0)
Sign of a indicates direction of vector
Deceleration is just negative acceleration

Motion at Constant Acceleration

The notion of acceleration emerges when a change in velocity is combined with the time during which the change
occurs.
Equations of Kinematics for
Constant Acceleration

We are limited to calculations when acceleration is a constant.
We will use the mathematical definition of displacement, velocity, and acceleration to derive 4 Kinematic equations.

Equations of Kinematics for Constant Acceleration

v  vo  at x  vot  12 at 2
x  12 vo  v  t v 2  vo2  2ax
= x -x
2 1
Five kinematic variables:
1. displacement, x
2. acceleration (constant), a
3. final velocity (at time t), v
4. initial velocity, vo
5. elapsed time, t

SAMPLE PROBLEM 1:
A car slows down uniformly from a speed of 21.0 m/s to rest in 6.00s. How far did it travel in this time?
Given v0=21.0m/s
v=0m/s
t=6.00s

x  x0  12 (v  v0 )t
 x  12 (0  21m / s)(6s)  63m
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2:

A car is behind a truck going 25m/s on the highway. The car’s driver looks for an opportunity to pass, guessing that his
car can accelerate at 1.0m/s2. He gauges that he has to cover the 20 m length of the truck, plus 10 m clear room at the
rear of the truck and 10 m more at the front of it. In the oncoming lane, he sees a car approaching, probably also
traveling at 25 m/s. He estimates that the car is about 400 m away. Should he attempt to pass?

x  x0  v0t  12 at 2
x  12 at 2
2x 2(40m)
t 
a 1m / s 2
t  8.94 s

x  vt
x  (25m / s)(8.94)
x  223.5m

x  vot  12 at 2
 6.0 m s 8.0 s   12 2.0 m s 2 8.0 s    2

 110 m