RECTILINEAR

MOTION WITH
VARIABLE
ACCELERATION
The diagram above shows the relationship
between acceleration a, velocity v and
displacement x.

• Velocity is the rate of change of

displacement, therefore to obtain
velocity from displacement you
differentiate.
• To find displacement from velocity, you
integrate.
• Acceleration is the rate of change of
velocity.
• To obtain acceleration from velocity you
differentiate.
• To obtain acceleration from displacement
you differentiate twice.
• To get the displacement from acceleration
you integrate twice, whereas to get the
velocity from acceleration you integrate
only once.
FORMULA

V=

a= a =V

=
EXAMPLE

1. WHEN A DISPLACEMENT S IS GIVEN

IN TERMS OF TIME t. IF S=4t + .

a. FIND “S” AFTER t = 2 sec.

b. FIND “v” AFTER t = 2 sec.
c. FIND “a” AFTER t = 2 sec.
Solution
a. S=4t + , substitute t=2

S = 32 m

b. V= = + substitute t=2

= /
. = +

a=

= +
= substitute t=2

a = 36 /
2. THE MOTION OF A PARTICLE IS GIVEN BY
THE EQUATION S = − + WHERE S IN
m AND t IN seconds. COMPUTE THE
FOLLOWING WHEN
t = 2 seconds

A. DISTANCE ; ans. 38.67 m

B. VELOCITY ; ans. 70 /
C. ACCELERATION ; 98
SOLUTION;

A. DISTANCE WHEN t=2 SEC

= − + , SUBSTITUTE 2 sec IN t
( )
S= ( ) − + ( )
S = 38.67 m.
B. VELOCITY WHEN t = 2 sec

= − +

= − + , SUBSTITUTE 2 SEC
V = 70 m/s
C.ACCELERATION WHEN t = 2 sec
a=
since, = − +
= − + , SUBSTITUE 2 SEC
a = 98