CHAPTER 2

SPEED, VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION

Displacement

Displacement is defined as the distance travelled along a particular direction.

(Displacement is a vector quantity.)

distance travelled

Starting point Finishing point

displacement

3m

100 m
20 m
4m
distance travelled = 100 + 20 = 120 m

displacement = 80 m distance travelled = 4+3 = 7m

displacement = 5m
Velocity

Velocity is defined as the rate of change of displacement. ( Velocity is a vector quantity. )

Speed Average velocity

Speed is defined as the rate of change of distance. ( Speed is a scalar quantity. ) Average velocity is defined as the ratio of the total displacement to the time taken

to travel that displacement.

d
v = ( v = speed, d = distance, t = time taken )
t

= ms-1
= cms-1
= fts-1
= ms-1
Acceleration

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity.

= ms-2
= cms-2
= fts-2
= ms-2
 distance – time graph

distance ( m )

40

30

20
20 m

10
2s

0
0 1 2 3 4 time ( s )

20 m
Slope of ( distance – time ) graph = = 10 m / s
2s
Uniform motion ( Motion with constant velocity is called uniform motion. )

= speed

0s 1s 2s 3s 4s

d=0m 10 m 20 m 30 m 40 m
 Accelerated motion ( Motion with changing velocity is called accelerated motion. )

t=0s 1s 2s 3s 4s

d=0m 1m 4m 9m 16 m

distance ( m )

distance – time graph

16

6m
Slope of ( distance – time ) graph at ( t = 2 s ) = = 4m/s
1.5 s

6m = speed at ( t = 2 s )
4

1.5 s
1

0
0 1 2 3 4 time ( s )
Slope of the speed – time graph = acceleration
Exercises
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12.
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2019 MAY / JUNE 42

Distance = ……………………………… [ 3 ]
15. 2020 MARCH 42

Fig. 1.1
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Time / min
Fig. 1.1