Graphs and equations

describe
motion in one dimension.
4 Unit I

D rivers participating in the annual Yukon Quest (Figure 1.1), a

dogsled race between Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and Fairbanks,

Alaska, must complete a 1600-km course. Teams must constantly
adjust to changing snow and ice conditions and battle prevailing winds
as they race up and down snow- and ice-covered hills, through valleys,
across rivers, and on to the finish line. Teams run six or more hours at a
time, at an average speed of 13.0 km/h, in temperatures that can reach
below -50 °C. In order to do well in such a race, teams need to pay attention
to various motion details, such as position relative to the other teams,
distances travelled, and times elapsed.
To successfully complete the Yukon Quest, a driver must know
how a sled moves and how fast the dogs can run. Recording times in
training logs and measuring distances helps drivers understand the
motion of the sled and of their dog team. In this chapter, you will learn
how to describe motion using the terms, graphs, and equations of the
branch of physics called kinematics.
_ Figure