Rectilinear Kinematics of a

Particle
Chapter Outline
1. Continuous Motion
• General Rectilinear – varying acceleration
• Uniform Rectilinear – constant acceleration
2. Erratic Motion

Engr. FRANCIS M. MULIMBAYAN Department of Engineering Science

BSAE / MSMSE University of the Philippines –Los Banos
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR 1 College, Los Banos, Philippines
 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle

 Although each of these boats is rather large, from a distance, their motion
can be analysed as if each were a particle.
 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle

General
Kinematics of Particles.

Rectilinear
Continuous
Rectilinear Uniform
Kinematics Rectilinear
Erratic
Planar Note:
Kinematics Projectile • Continuous motion:
𝑎 = 𝑓 𝑡, 𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑣 for
3-Dimensional any time t
Kinematics Curvilinear • Erratic motion:
𝑎 = 𝑓 𝑡, 𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑣 for
certain duration only
Circular
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion

Definition of Terms
 Rectilinear Motion – motion along a straight line
 Rectilinear Kinematics of a particle – characterized by
specifying, at any given instant, the particle’s position,
velocity and acceleration

 Position (s or x) – a vector
quantity which indicates the
location of an object with
respect to a reference point
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion

Definition of Terms
 Displacement of the particle – change
in particle’s position; also a vector
denoted as ∆𝑠 or ∆𝑥

∆𝑠 = 𝑠 ′ − 𝑠

 Distance – positive scalar that

represents the total length of path
over which the particle travels
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion

Velocity
 Average velocity (𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑔 )

∆𝑠 𝑠 ′ − 𝑠
𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑔 = =
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡
Note:
 Instantaneous velocity (𝑣)  ∆𝑡 or dt is always (+), the sign
𝑑𝑠 use to define sense of velocity
𝑣= is the same as that of ∆𝑠 or ds
𝑑𝑡  Speed – magnitude of the
velocity
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion

Acceleration
 Average acceleration (𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑔 )

∆𝑣 𝑣 ′ − 𝑣
𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑔 = =
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡
Note:
 Instantaneous acceleration (𝑎)  If particle is decelerating
𝑑𝑣 (∆𝑣 is negative), 𝑎 will be
𝑎= negative and in the opposite
𝑑𝑡 sense to 𝑣
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion

 A differential relation involving displacement, velocity

and acceleration can be obtained by eliminating the
time differential,

𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑣
𝑑𝑡 = =
𝑣 𝑎
 Thus,
𝑎𝑑𝑠 = 𝑣𝑑𝑣
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Sample Problem No. 1

The position of a particle along a straight line is given by

𝑠 = 1.5𝑡 3 − 13.5𝑡 2 + 22.5𝑡 𝑓𝑡, where 𝑡 is in seconds.
Determine the position of the particle when 𝑡 = 6 𝑠 and the
total distance it travels during the 6-s time interval.
Sample Problem No. 2
A particle travels along a straight line with a velocity
𝑣 = 12 − 3𝑡 2 𝑚/𝑠, where 𝑡 is in seconds. When 𝑡 = 1 𝑠, the
particle is located 10 m to the left of the origin. Determine
the acceleration when 𝑡 = 4𝑠, the displacement from 𝑡 = 0 to
𝑡 = 10𝑠.
 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Sample Problem No. 3

A sphere is fired downwards into a medium with an initial

speed of 27 m/s. If it experiences a deceleration of
𝑎 = −6𝑡 𝑚/𝑠 2 , where 𝑡 is in seconds, determine the
distance travelled before it stops.
Sample Problem No. 4
A car starts from rest and moves along straight line with an
acceleration of 𝑎 = 3𝑠 −1/3 𝑚/𝑠 2 , where s is in meters.
Determine the car’s acceleration when t= 4s.
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Uniform Rectilinear Motion

Assumptions:
 Acceleration, 𝑎𝑐 is constant,
 When 𝑡 = 0, 𝑠 = 𝑠𝑜 and 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑜 .

Velocity as a function of time: Integrate 𝑎𝑐 = 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑡

𝑣 𝑡
𝑑𝑣 = 𝑎𝑐 𝑑𝑡
𝑣𝑜 0

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𝒗 = 𝒗𝒐 + 𝒂𝒄 𝒕
 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Uniform Rectilinear Motion

Position as a function of time: Integrate 𝑣 = 𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑡 =

𝒗𝒐 + 𝒂𝒄 𝒕

𝑠 𝑡
𝑑𝑠 = 𝒗𝒐 + 𝒂𝒄 𝒕 𝑑𝑡
𝑠𝑜 0

𝟏
𝒔 = 𝒔𝒐 + 𝒗𝒐 𝒕 + 𝒂𝒄 𝒕𝟐
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Uniform Rectilinear Motion

Velocity as a function of position: Integrate 𝑣𝑑𝑣 = 𝑎𝑑𝑠

𝑣 𝑠
𝑣𝑑𝑣 = 𝑎𝑐 𝑑𝑠
𝑣𝑜 𝑠𝑜

𝒗𝟐 = 𝒗𝒐 𝟐 + 𝟐𝒂𝒄 𝒔 − 𝒔𝒐

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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Uniform Rectilinear Motion
Sample Problem No. 5

A car starts from rest and with constant acceleration achieves

a velocity of 15 m/s when it travels a distance of 200 m.
Determine the acceleration of the car and the time required.

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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Continuous Motion
Uniform Rectilinear Motion
Sample Problem No. 6
Car A starts from rest at 𝑡 = 0 and travels along a straight
road with a constant acceleration of 6 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2 until it reaches a
speed of 80 𝑓𝑡/𝑠. Afterwards, it maintains this speed. Also,
when 𝑡 = 0, car B located 6000 𝑓𝑡 down the road is traveling
towards A at a constant speed of 60 𝑓𝑡/𝑠. Determine the
distance travelled by car A when they pass each other.

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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Erratic Motion
Relationship between position, velocity
and acceleration
𝑡2
𝑑𝑣
|𝑡1 = 𝑎|𝑡1 → 𝑎 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 = 𝑣2 − 𝑣1
𝑑𝑡 𝑡1

The slope in v-t curve at a given time is

equal to the acceleration at that instant.

Also, the area in the a-t curve for a given

time interval is equal to the change in the
velocity at that interval.
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Erratic Motion
Relationship between position, velocity
and acceleration
𝑡2
𝑑𝑠
|𝑡1 = 𝑣|𝑡1 → 𝑣 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 = 𝑠2 − 𝑠1
𝑑𝑡 𝑡1

The slope in s-t curve at a given time is

equal to the velocity at that instant.

Also, the area in the v-t curve for a given

time interval is equal to the change in the
position at that interval.
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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Erratic Motion
Graphical Solution
Sample Problem No. 7

A particle moves in a straight line with the acceleration

shown in the figure. Knowing that the particle starts from the
origin with 𝑣𝑜 = − 2 𝑚/𝑠, (a) construct the v-t and s-t curves
for 0 𝑠 < 𝑡 < 18 𝑠 , (b) determine the position and the
velocity of the particle and the total distance traveled when
𝑡 = 18 𝑠.

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 Rectilinear Kinematics of a Particle
with Erratic Motion
Graphical Solution
Sample Problem No. 8
Flash is desperate to save a
person in the past thru travelling
back in time using a rotating time
warp machine. In order to do so,
he needs to rotate the rim to a
speed of v = 650 m/s by running
over the bottom of it.
However, Flash is not aware that doing so would trigger a chain of events
that would result to the destruction of the planet. Meanwhile, another
Flash from a parallel dimension warned Batman of what is going to
happen. Batman (200 m away) rushed towards Flash to stop him. Using
the a-t graph of Flash and the v-t graph of Batman shown, determine
whether Batman is able to stop flash or not. Assume that both were at
rest when t = 0.