PHYSICS – MECHANICS MODULE WORKBOOK

KINEMATICS 1 - UNIFORM MOTION

Unless specified otherwise, all of the following situations involve bodies moving in
rectilinear trajectories in the absence of gravitational fields.

SOLVED PROBLEMS

1. An object is moving along a straight and level track for 3.0 s until it is 12 m from its
initial position. It then stops for 2.1 s, changes direction and travels for 36 m for 2.5 s.

a) Determine the total distance traveled b) Determine the total displacement

c) What was the average speed? d) What was the average velocity?

2. An object is moving along a straight and level track. It moves at 4.2 m/s for 3.0 s. Then,
it changes direction and travels for 5.0 s m at -6.4 m/s.

a) Determine the object’s total distance traveled.

b) Determine the object’s average speed.

c) Determine the object’s total displacement.

d) Determine the object’s average velocity.

3. An airplane is flying along a rectilinear trajectory without changing direction. It travels

1800 km at 900 km/h. It then slows it down to 800 km/h for the next 2400 km.

What was airplane’s average velocity for this trip?

 SOLUTIONS

1. An object is moving along a straight and level track for 3.0 s until it is 12 m from its
initial position. It then stops for 2.1 s, changes direction and travels for 36 m for 2.5 s.

a) Determine the total distance traveled b) Determine the total displacement

distance is the total length of the trajectory or displacement is the object's distance from
path (direction is not considered) where it started (direction is considered)

12 + 36 = 48 m (+12) +(- 36) = -24m

c) What was the average speed? d) What was the average velocity?

average speed average velocity

= (total distance) / (total time) = (total displacement) / (total time)
(direction not considered) (direction is considered)

48 / ( 3.0 + 2.1 + 2.5 )= 6.3 m/s -24 / ( 3.0 + 2.1 + 2.5 )= -3.2 m/s

2. An object is moving along a straight and level track. It moves at 4.2 m/s for 3.0 s. Then,
it changes direction and travels for 5.0 s m at -6.4 m/s.

a) Determine the object’s total distance traveled.

Determine distance traveled in each direction

Use Distance = Speed x Time

Positive direction: 4.2 x 3.0 = 12.6 m Negative direction: 6.4 x 5.0 = 32.0 m

Total distance = 12.6 + 32.0 = 44.6 m

b) Determine the object’s average speed.

44.6 / ( 5.0 + 3.0 ) = 5.6 m/s

c) Determine the object’s total displacement.

Total displacement = (+12.6) + (-32.0) = -19.4 m

d) Determine the object’s average velocity.

-19.4 / ( 5.0 + 3.0 ) = - 2.4 m/s

3. An airplane is flying along a rectilinear trajectory without changing direction. It travels
1800 km at 900 km/h. It then slows it down to 800 km/h for the next 2400 km.

What was airplane’s average velocity for this trip?

Determine the total time. Use Time = Distance/Speed

Total time = ( 1800 / 900 ) + ( 2400 / 800 ) = 5 hours

Average velocity = ( 1800 + 2400 ) / 5 = 840 km/h

Note that displacement = distance and velocity = speed
when an object moves in one direction along a straight path

SUPPLEMENTARY EXERCISES

4) A person walks 5.0 metres forward and then 3.0 metres back in 4.0 s.

a) What is the distance the person walked in 4.0 s?

b) What is the displacement of the person’s walk in 4.0 s?

c) What is the average speed of the person during his walk?

d) What is the average velocity of the person during his walk?

5) An airplane that leaves Calgary at 9:05 am and arrives in Grande Prairie at 11:35 am.
The two cities are 350 km apart. Find its average speed (in m/s).

6) How long will it take a bicycle traveling at an average of 8.5 m/s to travel 2.35 km?

7) Two cars have the same initial position and trajectory and are traveling at constant
speeds in the same direction. One car travels at 80 km/h and the other at 100 km/h.
How long will it be before they are 5 km apart?

8) An body travels for 5.0s at 15m/s and then changes direction and travels for 100m at
8.0m/s. What was its average velocity?

ANSWERS

4a) 8 m b) 2 m c) 2 m/s d) 0.5 m/s

5) 38.9 m/s 6) 276.5 s 7) 900 s or 15 min 9) -1.43 m/s

Example Solutions

7) Two cars have the same initial position and trajectory and are traveling at constant
speeds in the same direction. One car travels at 80 km/h and the other at 100 km/h.
How long will it be before they are 5 km apart?

There are many ways to solve this problem including making a position graph, using a table of
values or using relative velocity (the easiest method).

The following method is the most general that prepares you for more difficult questions.

Write equations of motion for each car

#⃗
∆"
Start with the velocity equation "⃗ =
v ∆%

"⃗
Isolate ∆d "⃗ = v"⃗ × ∆t
∆d

"⃗ = d
∆d "⃗& − d
"⃗' "⃗ "⃗' = "v⃗ × ∆t
d& − d

Since the two cars have the same initial position, let 𝑑⃗' = 0
(i.e. let both cars have an initial poistion of 0)

"⃗&_)*+' = "v⃗)*+' × ∆t
d "⃗&_)*+& = "v⃗)*+& × ∆t
d

"⃗&_)*+' − d
We are looking for the time when d "⃗&_)*+& = 5 km

"⃗&_)*+' − d
d "⃗&_)*+& = (v
"⃗)*+& × ∆t) − (v
"⃗)*+& × ∆t)

5 = 100∆t − 80∆t

5 = 20∆t

∆t = 0.25 h = 15 minutes