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Kinematics by Dale Gary, NJIT
Kinematics by Dale Gary, NJIT
Lecture 2
Dale Gary
NJIT Physics Department
Motion along a straight line
Motion
Position and displacement
Average velocity and average speed
Instantaneous velocity and speed
Acceleration
Constant acceleration: A special case
Free fall acceleration
x = + 2.5 m
x=-3m
Displacement in space
From A to B: Δx = xB – xA = 52 m – 30 m = 22 m
From A to C: Δx = xc – xA = 38 m – 30 m = 8 m
xi
0 t 0 t
ti tf
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Average Acceleration
Changing velocity (non-uniform) means an
acceleration is present.
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
Acceleration is a vector quantity.
Acceleration has both magnitude and direction.
Acceleration has a dimensions of length/time2: [m/s2].
Definition:
v v f - vi
Average acceleration aavg
t t f - ti
Instantaneous acceleration
v dv d dx d 2 v
a lim 2
t 0 t dt dt dt dt
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Average Acceleration
Note: we are plotting
velocity vs. time
Average acceleration
v v f - vi
aavg
t t f - ti
Velocity as a function of time
v f (t ) vi + aavg t
v v0 + 2ax
2 2
1 1 1 2
We have x (v0 + v)t (v0 + v0 + at )t x x - x0 v0t + at
2 2 2
Gives displacement as a function of all three quantities: time,
initial velocity and acceleration
Use when you don’t know and aren’t asked to find the final
velocity
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Derivation of the Equation (4)
Given initial conditions:
a(t) = constant = a, v(t = 0) = v0, x(t = 0) = x0
Rearrange the definition of average acceleration
v v - v0 v - v0
aavg a, to find the time t
t t a
Use it to eliminate t in the second equation:
v 2 - v0 , rearrange to get
2
1 1
x (v + v)t
0 (v + v )(v - v )
0 0
2 2a 2a
v 2 v0 + 2ax v0 + 2a( x - x0 )
2 2
v v0 + at x v0t + 12 at 2 v 2 v0 + 2ax
2
v v0 + at x v0t + 12 at 2 v 2 v0 + 2ax
2
x - x0 v0t + 12 at 2 v
v v0 + 2a( x - x0 )
2 2
t
x - x0 12 (v + v0 )t a
x - x0 vt - 12 at 2 v0