Mechanics

• Kinematics: How do objects move?

• description of an object’s motion without regard to the cause of the
motion or the mass, shape and density of the moving object
• Dynamics: Why do objects move (in a particular way)?
• motion =
= function ( object (mass, shape, density, etc.), cause (external forces) )
• Statics: What keeps objects stationary in the presence of external forces?
• stationary position =
= function ( object (mass, surface quality), cause (external forces))

• Point-wise representation of an object

 Displacement and path
x
 
A B • Displacement: d  0 or d  0
d 
• Pathlength: s  d and s  0

y A • Units for d and s: [m]

  
  r  rB  r A
rA
B

rB x
0 A

Remember!
Displacement is a vector.
Pathlength is a scalar.
B
 Average velocity

x  T otal displacem ent  x x B  x A  m
    s
A  B T im e interval  t tB  t A  
x
A student runs one quarter the Given:
way around a circular running • D = 200 m
track of diameter 200 m at • t = 25 s
constant speed. He starts N
running in direction due North Find:
 W E
and clockwise and it takes him
25 s to complete the run.  ? R S

Q. What is the runner’s

average velocity? D
 100 m
D D
2
2
2 2
     D
 R 2 2 20000 m
    2   5 .64 Direction: NE
t t t 25 s
Remember, velocity is a vector and has direction!
 Instantaneous velocity and speed

 r 
Speed  
 m
Instantaneous   lim Units:
s
velocity t  0  t  
Remember: Velocity is a vector, while Speed is a scalar! B

A student runs one quarter the way Given:

around a circular running track of • D = 200 m
diameter 200 m at constant speed. • t = 25 s
N
He starts running in direction due
Find: W E
North, clockwise and it takes him

25 s to complete the run. B ? S

Q. What is the runner’s

A
instantaneous velocity at point B ? D
 100 m
2

 s  D 3 . 14 * 200 m
B     6 .28 Direction: East
 t 4 t 4 * 25 s
 Instantaneous and average velocity

Q. Which has greater average velocity – the bus or the student?

Q. Which has greater instantaneous velocity– the bus or the student?

B
 Acceleration

A B
x

vA vB

υ υ B  υ A
Average
a 
acceleration
t tB  t A

υ m
Instantaneous a  lim Units:  s 2 
acceleration t  0  t
 Motion in 1 Dimension
 
0 A B X
x
xA, vA xB , vB
x  x B  x A
Total displacement x x B  x A x  ±x
v  
total time t t B  t A v  
Velocity change v v B  v A
a   a  a
total time t t B  t A
Q. Can we derive a relationship between x, v, a and t that
fully describes the motion of a body in time and space (1D) ?
 Kinematic equations for motion in 1D with
constant acceleration

A customer test drives a Given:

• v0 a  const .
Ferrari. The car starts moving
with initial velocity v0 and • a 0 
constant acceleration a.
Find: X
Q. What is the car velocity v   t  ?
x0 , t0 x, t
at time t?

    0
a  t0  0
t t  t0
  0    0  at
a (1)
t
 Kinematic equations for motion in 1D with
constant acceleration
Q. What is the position x(t) of the Ferrari at time t?

 x x  x0 x  x0 0  
    however  
 t t  t0 t 2

0   x  x0 1 1
 x  x0   0 t   t
2 t 2 2
   0  at
1 1 1 2 1 2
x  x0   0 t   0 t  at x  x0   0 t  at (2)
2 2 2 2
 Kinematic equations for motion in 1D with
constant acceleration
Assume that the time for the test drive is unknown.
Q. What is the velocity v of the Ferrari at position x?
  0
   0  at t
a
1 2
x  x0   0 t  at
2
2
  0 1    0  0   2
1 2
  
1 02
x  x0   0  a   0
 0

a 2  a  a a 2 a a 2 a

1 2
1 2
  2 2
x  x0   x  x0 
0 0 (3)
2 a 2 a 2a
 Kinematic equations for motion in 1D with
constant acceleration
Assume that the acceleration a of the car is unknown.
Q. What is the position x of the Ferrari at time t when it reaches velocity v?

  2 2
x  x0  0
2a
  0
   0  at a
t

x  x0 
   0  t    0      0  t
2 2


2    0  2    0 
0  
x  x0  t (4)   x    t
2
Kinematic equations: Summary

   0  at (1)

1 2
x  x0   0 t  at (2)
2
 
2 2
x  x0  0 (3)
2a
0  
x  x0  t (4)
2