<Chap.

2 Motion in a Straight Line: Suggested Problems and Solutions>

2.15, 2.19, 2.25, 2.30, 2.39, 2.73

2.15

Average speed is a total distance divided by a time interval. Total distance which she moved is 1.5𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 +
40𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 + 10𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 = 51.5𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 . Also, time interval is 1 h, 45 min, 1s. Therefore, average speed is 𝑣𝑣 =
1.5+40+10
= 29.4 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ.
((3600+45∗60+1)⁄(3600))

2.19 b = 80 [𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠], c = 4.9 [𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 ]

(a) Let v be the velocity of this object.

For a given formula, 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 − 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 2 , the velocity can be calculated below.
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑣𝑣 = = 𝑏𝑏 − 2𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
It is also fine to substitute the values of b & c into the formula because the problem defines b
& c as specific constants.

(b) The zero-velocity situation implies that the formula above equals zero.

𝑣𝑣 = 0 ⇒ 𝑏𝑏 − 2𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 0
𝑏𝑏 80
∴ 𝑡𝑡 = = [𝑠𝑠] = 8.2[𝑠𝑠]
2𝑐𝑐 2 × 4.9
2.25

Let’s assume this car moves straight line.

The initial velocity of this car is 0km/h and the final speed of car is 1000km/h and the time interval is
16s.

Average acceleration is a change in velocity over a change in time. However, velocity has a different
unit with time. Thus, we need to change a unit of velocity to m/s. 𝑣𝑣 = 1000 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ =
𝑣𝑣−𝑣𝑣0
1000 × 10^3 𝑚𝑚 / 3600𝑠𝑠 = 277.8𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 . Then, the average acceleration is 𝑎𝑎 = =
𝑡𝑡
(1000 ×103⁄3600) − 0
= 17 𝑚𝑚⁄𝑠𝑠 .
2
16

2.30

Let 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 , 𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓 be 12 [s] and 88 [km/h], respectively.

(a) (Solution1)

Let x be a coordinate to describe the object. Start point is the origin of the coordinate.

Since acceleration, a is constant,

𝑑𝑑 2 𝑥𝑥
= 𝑎𝑎
𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2
 So, the velocity is given by
𝑡𝑡 2
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑 𝑥𝑥
𝑣𝑣 = =� 2
d𝜏𝜏 + 𝑣𝑣(𝑡𝑡0 ) = 𝑎𝑎(𝑡𝑡 − 𝑡𝑡0 ) + 𝑣𝑣(𝑡𝑡0 ) = 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑡𝑡0 𝑑𝑑𝜏𝜏

where t 0 is initial time and 𝑡𝑡0 = 0 [s]. In the above, 𝑣𝑣(𝑡𝑡0 ) = 0 because the motion starts at
rest.

From conditions of the problem,

𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑓𝑓 = 𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓

𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓 88 [𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ] 1 [ℎ] 1000 [𝑚𝑚]

∴ 𝑎𝑎 = = ×� �×� � = 2.0 [𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 ]
𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 12 [𝑠𝑠] 3600 [𝑠𝑠] 1 [𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘]

(Solution2)

Since the acceleration is constant and the motion starts at rest, the velocity vs time curve
should be plotted like Figure 2.30(a).

Figure 2.30(a) Plot of “the velocity vs time”

Acceleration can be extracted by obtaining the slope of the line. So, it can be calculated as
𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓 88 [𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ] 1 [ℎ] 1000 [𝑚𝑚]
𝑎𝑎 = = ×� �×� � = 2.0 [𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 ]
𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 12 [𝑠𝑠] 3600 [𝑠𝑠] 1 [𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘]

It is the same result as before.

(b) (Solution1)

The distance can be obtained by integrating the velocity, 𝑣𝑣 = 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎.

𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 1 1
𝑥𝑥 = � 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = � 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣 = � 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 𝑎𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓2 = × 2.0[𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 ] × (12 [𝑠𝑠])2 = 1.4 × 102 [𝑚𝑚]
𝑡𝑡0 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 0 0 2 2

It is the result from considering significant figures seriously.

(Solution2)

From the Figure 30.1, magnitude of displacement is the same as the area below the curve,
which means area of the triangle below it.
1 1 1ℎ 1000𝑚𝑚
𝑥𝑥 = 𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 = × 88 [𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ] × 12[𝑠𝑠] × � �×� � = 1.5 × 102 [𝑚𝑚]
2 2 3600𝑠𝑠 1𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
(Solution3)

If the given acceleration of the motion is constant, it is very useful to use the concept of
“average velocity”.
 Let’s consider more general situation described as Figure 2.30(b). Then the velocity can be
obtained as the line,

𝑣𝑣 = 𝑎𝑎(𝑡𝑡 − 𝑡𝑡0 ) + 𝑣𝑣0 .

Figure 2.30(b) General situation of the motion with constant acceleration

Then, by integrating the equation of the line,

𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 1 2
𝑥𝑥 = � 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = � 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣 = � (𝑎𝑎(𝑡𝑡 − 𝑡𝑡0 ) + 𝑣𝑣0 )𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝑎𝑎�𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � + 𝑣𝑣0 �𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 �.
𝑡𝑡0 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑡𝑡0 𝑡𝑡0 2

So, average velocity can be calculated:

𝑥𝑥 1 𝑣𝑣0 + 𝑎𝑎�𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � + 𝑣𝑣0 𝑣𝑣0 + 𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓

𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = = 𝑎𝑎�𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � + 𝑣𝑣0 = = .
𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 2 2 2

In fact, the above formula can be applied to the any lines with finite slope.

Now, by using 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 ,

1 2 1
𝑥𝑥 = 𝑎𝑎�𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � + 𝑣𝑣0 �𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � = � 𝑎𝑎�𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � + 𝑣𝑣0 � �𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � = 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 �𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 �.
2 2
𝑣𝑣0 + 𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓
∴ 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 �𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 � = � � �𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 − 𝑡𝑡0 �
2
In this problem,
𝑣𝑣𝑓𝑓 1 1ℎ 1000𝑚𝑚
𝑥𝑥 = 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 = � � 𝑡𝑡𝑓𝑓 = × 88 [𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ] × 12[𝑠𝑠] × � �×� � = 1.5 × 102 [𝑚𝑚]
2 2 3600𝑠𝑠 1𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
2.39

Choose a coordinate such that the positive y direction is upward. When the rock hits the Frisbee, its
velocity and height are 𝑣𝑣 = 3 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 and 𝑦𝑦 = 6.4 𝑚𝑚 , and the rock’s initial position is 𝑦𝑦0 = 1.3 𝑚𝑚 . For
these values, using the equation:

𝑣𝑣 2 − 𝑣𝑣02 = 2𝑎𝑎(𝑦𝑦 − 𝑦𝑦0 )

∴ 𝑣𝑣0 = �𝑣𝑣 2 − 2𝑎𝑎(𝑦𝑦 − 𝑦𝑦0 ) = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎/𝒔𝒔

(choose the positive value due to the rock’s traveling direction)

2.73
1
We must solve the equation 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡) − 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡 − 1) = 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡).
4

3 1
⇒ 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡) = 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡 − 1), where 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡) = 𝑦𝑦0 + 𝑣𝑣0 𝑡𝑡 + 𝑎𝑎𝑡𝑡 2
4 2

Since the object was dropped downward from a stationary condition, 𝑣𝑣0 = 0 and 𝑎𝑎 = 𝑔𝑔.

We can choose a coordinate such that 𝑦𝑦0 = 0, then the equation becomes
3 1 1
� 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2 � = 𝑔𝑔(𝑡𝑡 − 1)2 .
4 2 2

⇒ 𝑡𝑡 2 − 8𝑡𝑡 + 4 = 0, so we obtain 𝑡𝑡 = 4 ± 2√3.

1
Choose 𝑡𝑡 = 4 + 2√3, then 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡) = 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2 ≅ 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝒎𝒎 (∵ the last second 𝑡𝑡 − 1 > 0)
2