KINEMATICS

KINEMATICS: OBJECTS IN MOTION

Kinematics is a branch of physics and a subdivision of classical mechanics concerned with the geometrically possible
motion of a body or system of bodies without consideration of the forces involved (i.e., causes and effects of the
motions).
 CONCEPTS

 Displacement

 Speed

 Velocity

 Acceleration
 DISPLACEMENT

If an object moves from its start position to another position —for example, if a car moves from its start position of the
garage to the end of the driveway, or a passenger moves toward the rear of an airplane—then the object’s position
changes. This change in position is known as displacement. The word displacement implies that an object has moved,
or has been displaced.
Displacement is defined to be the change in position of an object. It is a vector quantity.
 SPEED

Speed is the rate at which the object the distance was covered by the object or the rate of change of distance. It is the
total distance (d) covered by total time (t)
 VELOCITY

Velocity is a vector quantity that measures displacement (or change in position, ) over the change in time. Is a
measured speed in a given direction. It tells us not only the speed of the object but also the direction.
 AVERAGE VELOCITY

Defined
  
as the total displacement (s) of the object in the total time (t). Velocity (Vav) = total displacement (s)/ total
time (t) Vav = ∆s/t Where indicates a small change in the value.
 INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY

Is the velocity at any one instant

v =  ∆s/ t


Where ∆t is tending towards zero

 TERMINAL VELOCITY

As an object falls through the air, it accelerates, due to the force of attraction of the Earth. This force does not change.
As the velocity increases, the air resistance, the force opposing the motion, increases, therefore the acceleration
decreases. If the object falls for long enough, then the air resistance (a force acting upwards) will equal the force of
attraction of the Earth (the weight) (a force acting downwards). Now there are no net forces acting on the object
(since the two forces balance) so it no longer accelerates, but travels at a constant velocity called its terminal velocity.
Terminal velocity depends on
 The size

 Shape

 And weight of the object

A sky diver has a terminal velocity of more than 50ms-1 (100 miles per hour)
 ACCELERATION

Is the rate of change of velocity in a given direction

a = ∆v / ∆t (where ∆v = v – u)
It is a vector quantity. If the acceleration of an object is positive then we understand its rate of change of velocity to be
positive and it could mean that its speed is increasing.
 RELATIVE MOTION

If you are stationary and watching things come towards you or away from you, then your stating velocities is easy. If,
however you are in motion, either moving towards or away from an object in motion, then your frame of reference is
different. In this case the relative velocity is the velocity of the object relative to your motion.
Examples include
 Cars overtaking

 Trains going passed platforms

 REFERENCES

 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-physics/chapter/basics-of-kinematics/

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128117699000037

 https://study.com/academy/lesson/kinematics-displacement-velocity-acceleration.html