1. A runner completes 5 ½ laps of a circular 400 m track. If the track has a diameter of 127.

3 m,
what are the runner’s distance and displacement?

distance: displacement:

2200 m 127.3 m

Solution
Distance is measured along the path of motion; therefore the length of the track is multiplied by the number
of laps completed.

m
er as
5 ½ × 400 m = 2200 m

co
eH w
Displacement is calculated as the final position minus the initial position. Given an initial position of zero,
the final position would be equal to the diameter of the track, 127.3 m. Displacement is a vector quantity

o.
and therefore has both a magnitude and a direction. We can provide a direction in this case because we
rs e
aren’t given any information about where on the track the runner started.
ou urc
o

2. A runner accelerates at 12.4 m/s2 for 0.5 seconds. If her final velocity is 9.7 m/s, what was her
aC s

initial velocity?
vi y re

initial velocity:

3.5 m/s
ed d
ar stu

Solution
a = Δv/Δt = (vf – v0)/Δt
sh is

rearrange the equation to isolate V0:

Th

v0 = vf – aΔt
v0 = 9.7 m/s – (12.4 m/s2)(0.5 s) = 3.5 m/s

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 3. The final stage of the Tour de France requires a 25 km climb at an average incline of 12°. Lance
Armstrong won the stage with a time of 1 hr : 18 min.

a) What was Lance Armstrong’s average speed?

average speed:

5.34 m/s

Solution

m
t = 1 hr:18 min = 78 min = 4680 s

er as
s = l/t
s = 25,000 m/4680 s = 5.34 m/s

co
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o.
b) rs e
What was the total elevation change?
ou urc
elevation change:
o

5198 m
aC s
vi y re

Solution
sinθ = opp/hyp
opp = (hyp)(sinθ)
ed d

opp = (25,000 m)(sin12°) = 5198 m

ar stu
sh is

c) What was Lance Armstrong’s average vertical velocity?

Th

vertical velocity:

1.11 m/s

Solution
v = Δd/Δt
v = 5198 m / 4680 s = 1.11 m/s

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 4. A forestry surveyor walked 2.7 km north, then 3.1 km east, then 4.2 km north, then 7.2 km east,
then 2.2 km south, then 4.4 km 30 degrees south of east. She completed the trip in 6:14:22.

7.2
2.2
N
3.8
4.2
W E 30°
2.2
4.4
3.1 S

14.3
2.7 2.5

m
er as
14.1

co
eH w
o.
a) What was the total distance travelled?
rs e
ou urc
distance:

23.8 km or 23,800 m
o

Solution
aC s
vi y re

Since distance is measured along the path of motion simply add the magnitudes of each displacement vector
given in the question. 2.7 km + 3.1 km + 4.2 km + 7.2 km + 2.2 km + 4.4 km = 23.8 km

b) What was her average speed?

ed d
ar stu

average speed:

1.06 m/s
sh is
Th

Solution
Speed is calculated by dividing the distance by the time taken to cover that distance. First, we must convert
the time taken from hr:min:sec to seconds and the distance travelled into meters.

6 hr × 60 min per hour × 60 seconds per minute = 21 600 s

(note: it’s handy shortcut to remember that there are 3600 s in one hour)

14 min × 60 s = 840 s

21 600 s + 840 s + 22 s = 22 462 s

23.8 km × 1000 meters per kilometre = 23 800 m

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 23 000 m ÷ 22 462 s = 1.06 m/s

c) What was her total displacement?

displacement:
magnitude: 14 320 m
direction: 10° North of East

Solution
Only vectors that are collinear can be added arithmetically; therefore, we must resolve each of the vectors
given in the question into its vertical and horizontal components, add the collinear components, then
determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector.

Vector 1: Vector 6:

m
North-South component = 2.7 km North-South component = 4.4·SIN30° = 2.2 km

er as
East-West component = 0 km East-West component = 4.4·COS30° = 3.8 km

co
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Vector 2: ΣN-S = 2.7 km + 0 km + 4.2 km + 0 km – 2.2 km – 2.2 km = 2.5 km
North-South component = 0 km ΣE-W = 0 km + 3.1 km + 0 km + 7.2 km + 0 km + 3.8 km = 14.1 km

o.
East-West component = 3.1 km
rs e
ou urc
Vector 3: magnitude = (2.52 + 14.12)½ = 14.32 km
North-South component = 4.2 km
East-West component = 0 km direction = TANθ = 2.5/14.1
θ = TAN-1(2.5/14.1) = 10.05°
o

Vector 4:
aC s

North-South component = 0 km Note: The direction can be described in terms of a number of

vi y re

East-West component = 7.2 km degrees counter-clockwise from East, or North of East. It can also
be expressed as a number of degrees clockwise from North or East
Vector 5: of North; however, to do this, we would need to subtract the value
North-South component = 2.2 km that we calculated using the TAN function from 90°.
ed d

East-West component = 0 km
ar stu

d) What was her average velocity?

average velocity:
sh is

magnitude: 0.64 m/s

Th

direction: 10° North of East

Solution
Velocity is calculated by dividing the change in position by the change in time.

14 320 m ÷ 22 462 s = 0.64 m/s

The direction is the same as that for the displacement.

5. A runner won a 10,000 meter race on a 400 m track by running at an average speed of 5.98
meters per second. What was his time for the race (expressed in minutes:seconds)? What was
his average velocity for the race?

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 time: average velocity:

27:52:24 0 m/s

Solution
Time: Velocity:
time = length ÷ speed The race took place on a 400 m track; therefore, we
t = 10 000 m ÷ 5.98 m/s = 1 672.24 s must determine how many laps were completed to
find the final position along the track.
1 672.24 s ÷ 60 min per sec = 27 whole minutes
27 minutes × 60 seconds per minute = 1 620 s 10 000 m ÷ 400 m = 25 laps.
1 672.24 s - 1 620 s = 52.24 s
Since 25 whole laps were completed, the runner
would have finished the race at the start line, the
same place that they began the race; therefore, the

m
displacement is zero.

er as
co
6. A one hundred meter freestyle swim race (2 lengths of a 50 meter pool) is won in 49.87

eH w
seconds. Determine the average speed and average velocity.

o.
average speed:
rs e average velocity:
ou urc
2.01 m/s 0 m/s
o

Solution
aC s

Speed: Velocity:
vi y re

100 m ÷ 49.87 s = 2.01 m/s The swimmer ended the race in the same
position as he or she started; therefore, the
displacement is zero and the velocity is zero.
ed d
ar stu

7. Two runners start at the same point on a 400 m track. Runner A travels at an average speed
of 4 m/s while Runner B travels at an average speed of 5 m/s.
sh is

a) How long will it take for Runner B to lap Runner A? Express your answer in the form of
minutes:seconds.
Th

time:

6 min: 40 s

Solution
When Runner B laps Runner A, the distance travelled by Runner B will equal the distance travelled by
Runner A plus 400 m. Distance is speed multiplied by time, so we can set up the following equation:

(5 m/s)(t) = (4 m/s)(t) + 400

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 t = 400 seconds = 6 min:40 sec

b) What is the distance and displacement of each runner when Runner B laps Runner A?

distance for Runner A: displacement for Runner A:

1 600 m 0 m/s

distance for Runner B: displacement for Runner B:

2 000 m 0 m/s

m
er as
co
Solution

eH w
Distance for Runner A: Distance for Runner B:
4 m/s × 400 s = 1 600 m 5 m/s × 400 s = 2 000 m

o.
rs e
Both runners were at the starting position when Runner B lapped Runner A; therefore, their displacements
ou urc
are zero.
o
aC s

8. With 800 meters left to go in a cross-country race, the winner was running at 7.25 meters per
vi y re

second. A fairly steep uphill to the finish forced a reduced pace, and 6 seconds later the
winner had slowed to 4.16 meters per second. What was the average acceleration during this
period?
ed d

average acceleration:
ar stu

-0.52 m/s2
sh is

Solution
Acceleration = the change in velocity ÷ the change in time
Th

Δv = vf - vi = 4.16m/s - 7.25 m/s = -3.09 m/s

Δt = 6 s
-3.09 m/s ÷ 6 s = -0.52 m/s2

9. A car in a Formula One race was travelling at 210 km/hr when it spun out of control and hit the
wall. After only 0.15 seconds, the car had come to a complete stop. What was the car’s
acceleration (or deceleration) as a result of hitting the wall? Express this acceleration as a
number of times the acceleration due to gravity on Earth (9.81 m/s2).

acceleration:

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 39.6 g

Solution
210,000 m ÷ 3600 s = 58.3 m/s
a = Δv/Δt = (vf – v0) / Δt
a = (0 m/s – 58.3 m/s)/0.15 s = 388.67 m/s2
(388.67 m/s2)/(9.81 m/s2) = 39.6 g

10. A skier has just begun descending a 20° slope (measured clockwise from the positive
horizontal axis) at a constant acceleration of 2 m/s2 in the direction parallel to the slope. What
is the skier’s velocity after 15 s? Express you answer in Cartesian vector notation, assuming
that the skier’s starting position is the origin, with coordinates (0,0).

m
velocity:

er as
[28.19, – 10.26] m/s

co
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o.
Solution
rs e
ou urc
Magnitude of the velocity vector:
v = at
v = (2 m/s2)(15 s) = 30 m/s
o

x-coordinate:
aC s

(30m/s)(cos-20°) = 28.19 m/s

vi y re

y-coordinate:
(30m/s)(sin-20°) = -10.26 m/s

In Cartesian Vector Notation:

ed d

v = [28.19, – 10.26] m/s

ar stu
sh is
Th

11. Use the figure to answer the questions.

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/
 a. Is the instantaneous velocity at time zero positive, negative or zero?
Negative (the slope of the displacement-time plot is negative)
b. What is the instantaneous velocity at 10 seconds?

m
Zero (the slope of the displacement-time plot is zero)

er as
c. Over the ten seconds, is the velocity increasing or decreasing?

co
Increasing (the velocity goes from a negative value to zero)

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d. Over the ten seconds, is the speed increasing or decreasing?

o.
Decreasing (speed is a scalar that goes from a positive value to zero)
rs e
e. Is the average acceleration positive, negative, or zero?
ou urc
Positive (the velocity is increasing so the average acceleration is positive)

12. A person is walking with a velocity of +1.77 m/s. They begin to slow down change their
o

direction such that they have a velocity of -0.54 m/s. The time it takes for them to change their
aC s

velocity is 8 seconds. What is their average acceleration over this time?

vi y re

Average acceleration:

-0.29 m/s2
ed d
ar stu

Solution
a = Δv/Δt
a = -2.31 m/s / 8 s = -0.29 m/s2
sh is
Th

13. A runner is going in the negative direction with a velocity of magnitude 6 m/s. The runner
comes to a stop over a period of 4 seconds. What is their average acceleration over this time?

Average acceleration:

+1.5 m/s2

Solution
a = Δv/Δt
a = 6 m/s / 4 s = +1.5 m/s2

https://www.coursehero.com/file/31873495/Practice-Problems-Linear-Kinematics-Worked-Solutionspdf/

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