TOPIC 3

KINEMATICS ON
ONE DIMENSION
PREPARED BY: MISS TENGKU LINA IZZATI
Lecture Outline
3.1 Distance and Displacement
3.2 Speed and Velocity
3.3 Acceleration
 3.3 Distance and Displacement
• What is the different between distance and displacement?
• Displacement (blue line) is how far the object is from
its starting point, regardless of how it got there (change
in position)
• Distance traveled (dashed line) is measured along the
actual path.
 Distance – Scalar
 Displacement – Vector
The displacement is written:

Movement to the right: Movement to the left:

Displacement is Displacement is
positive. negative.
 3.2 Speed and Velocity
 Speed - how far an object travel in a given time
interval
 Average speed – the total distance traveled
along its path divided by the time takes to travel this
distance
 Velocity – a vector, signify both of the
magnitude (how fast) and direction of an object
 Average velocity – the total displacement
of an object divided by the time takes to travel to
this point
 Unit : meter/second (m/s)
 Time taken – 70 s

Average v
 In general

 Positive value – object moving along the +x axis

 Negative value – object moving along the –x axis
 Direction is always the same as the
displacement
Example 2-1: Runner’s average velocity.
The position of a runner as a function of time is
plotted as moving along the x axis of a coordinate
system. During a 3.00 s time interval, the runner’s
position changes from x1 = 50.0 m to x2 = 30.5 m, as
shown. What was the runner’s average velocity?

-6.50 m/s, moving to the

left
Example 2-2: Distance a cyclist
travels.
How far can a cyclist travel in 2.5 h
along a straight road if her average
velocity is 18 km/h?

45 km
 Instantaneous Velocity

The instantaneous velocity is the average

velocity in the limit as the time interval

becomes infinitesimally short.

 Instantaneous velocity Vs
Average velocity
 If an object moves at uniform velocity over a
particular time interval, then
 instantaneous velocity = average velocity

60
Velocity (km/h)

40

20

0 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Time (h)
 Instantaneous velocity Vs
Average velocity (cont.)
 But in many situations, this is not the case.

60

Average velocity
Velocity (km/h)

40

20

0
0.1 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Time (h)
 To better understand instantaneous
velocity, let us consider a graph of x vs. t

P1Pi slope < P1P2 slope.

What if take the point Pi to be closer and

closer to point P1????
 INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY

 Instantaneous velocity >a property of the object at a

single time
 Average velocity > object depends on two times
As we take Δt smaller and smaller, the average
velocity approaches the slope of the
tangent at point P1.
 Instantaneous velocity = slope of tangent

Instantaneous
  velocity is
the slope of the versus
graph at that particular
time
Example 2-3: Given x as a function of t
A jet engine moves along an
experimental track (which we call the x
axis) as shown. Its position as a
function of time is given by the
equation x = At2 + B, where A = 2.10
m/s2 and B = 2.80 m.
a. Determine the displacement of the
engine during the time interval
from t1 = 3.00 s to t2 = 5.00 s.
b. Determine the average velocity
during this time interval.
c. Determine the magnitude of the
instantaneous velocity at t = 5.00 s.
3.3 Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

In general

(Unit: m/s2)
Example: 5 m/s2 – velocity will increase 5 m/s in
1 second
Example 2-4: Average acceleration.
A car accelerates along a straight road from rest to 90
km/h in 5.0 s. What is the magnitude of its average
acceleration?
Example 2-6: Car slowing down
An automobile is moving to the right along a
straight highway, which we choose to be the
positive x axis. Then the driver puts on the brakes.
If the initial velocity (when the driver hits the
brakes) is v1 = 15.0 m/s, and it takes 5.0 s to slow
down to v2 = 5.0 m/s, what was the car’s average
acceleration?
 There is a difference between negative
acceleration and deceleration:
 Negative acceleration is acceleration in the
negative direction as defined by the coordinate
system.
 Deceleration occurs when the acceleration is
opposite in direction to the velocity.
Instantaneous Acceleration
The instantaneous acceleration is the average
acceleration in the limit as the time interval
becomes infinitesimally short.
 Like velocity, acceleration is a rate.
 The velocity is the rate at which the
displacement changes with time
 The acceleration it the rate which the
velocity changes with time
 Acceleration is “rate of rate”
Example 2-7: Acceleration given x(t).
A particle is moving in a straight line so that its position is given
by the relation x = (2.10 m/s2)t2 + (2.80 m). Calculate
(a)its average acceleration during the time interval from t1 =

3.00 s to t2 = 5.00 s, and

(b) its instantaneous acceleration as a function of time.

1. Uniformly accelerated motion
CASE 1 :
 constant acceleration
 starts at rest

V (ms-1)
Gradient = acceleration
v
Area = displacement

u t (s)
t
 CASE 2:
 positive acceleration
 the initial velocity is not zero

V (ms-1)
Gradient = acceleration
v
Area under the graph =
displacement Δx of the object

t t (s)
CASE 4:
 uniform velocity
 acceleration is zero

V (ms-1)
Constant velocity

v
u = v, a = 0

u
t (s)
t
2.Not consistent Accelerated,
retarded motion
CASE 1
a = dv
V (ms-1)
dt
Tangent line

Δv
Δt

t t (s)
 3. Accelerated motion
CASE 1:
 acceleration is increase
 acceleration is positive

V (ms-1) v2 > v1 => accelerated motion

 Acceleration is not
constant – slope is
getting steeper.

v2  Changing acceleration
that increases as time
goes by.
v1

t (s)
t1 t2
 4. Accelerated motion

CASE 1:
 acceleration is decreasing
v2 < v1 => decelerated motion
V (ms-1)

v v2

v1

u -ve: acceleration
+ve: velocity
t1 t2 t (s)
5. Decelerated motion
CASE 1:
 constant acceleration
 the final velocity is zero

V (ms-1)
 Straight line shows a
Gradient = - ve
constant negative
u ≠ 0, v = 0 acceleration.
u
 Acceleration is –ve
because the line
slopes downwards.

v t (s)
t
5. Decelerated motion

CASE 2:
 deceleration decreasing
v2 < v1 => decelerated motion
V (ms-1)
Deceleration → whenever
magnitude of the velocity
u is decreasing and then the
velocity and acceleration
point in opposite
direction.
v1
-ve: acceleration
v2 +ve: velocity
v t (s)
t1 t2
 5. DECELERATED MOTION
CASE 3:
 deceleration increasing

V (ms-1)

+ve: acceleration
v t (s) -ve: velocity
t1 t2
 ConcepTest 3.1 Walking the Dog
You and your dog go for a walk to the
park. On the way, your dog takes many
side trips to chase squirrels or examine 1) yes
fire hydrants. When you arrive at the
2) no
park, do you and your dog have the same
displacement?
 ConcepTest 3.1 Walking the Dog
You and your dog go for a walk to
the park. On the way, your dog
takes many side trips to chase
squirrels or examine fire hydrants. 1) yes
When you arrive at the park, do 2) no
you and your dog have the same
displacement?

Yes, you have the same displacement. Since you and your
dog had the same initial position and the same final
position, then you have (by definition) the same
displacement.

Follow-up: Have you and your dog traveled the same distance?
 ConcepTest 3.2 Displacement

Does the displacement of an 1) yes

object depend on the 2) no
specific location of the origin 3) it depends on the
of the coordinate system? coordinate system
ConcepTest 3.2 Displacement

Does the displacement of an

1) yes
object depend on the
specific location of the origin 2) no
of the coordinate system? 3) it depends on the
coordinate system

Since the 10 20 30 40 50
displacement is the
x  40  10  30
difference between
two coordinates, the
origin does not
30 40 50 60 70
matter.
x  60  30  30
 ConcepTest 3.3 Position and Speed
1) yes
If the position of a
2) no
car is zero, does its
speed have to be 3) it depends on the

zero? position
 ConcepTest 3.3 Position and Speed
1) yes
If the position of a
2) no
car is zero, does its
speed have to be 3) it depends on the

zero? position

No, the speed does not depend on position; it depends on

the change of position. Since we know that the
displacement does not depend on the origin of the
coordinate system, an object can easily start at x = –3 and
be moving by the time it gets to x = 0.
 ConcepTest 3.4a Cruising Along I

You drive for 30 minutes at 1) more than 40 mi/hr

30 mi/hr and then for 2) equal to 40 mi/hr
another 30 minutes at 50
mi/hr. What is your average 3) less than 40 mi/hr
speed for the whole trip?
 ConcepTest 3.4a Cruising Along I

1) more than 40 mi/hr

You drive for 30 minutes at 30
mi/hr and then for another 30 2) equal to 40 mi/hr
minutes at 50 mi/hr. What is your 3) less than 40 mi/hr
average speed for the whole trip?

It is 40 mi/hr in this case. Since the average speed is

distance/time and you spend the same amount of time at
each speed, then your average speed would indeed be 40
mi/hr.
 ConcepTest 3.4b Cruising Along II
You drive 4 miles at 30 1) more than 40 mi/hr
mi/hr and then another 4 2) equal to 40 mi/hr
miles at 50 mi/hr. What is
your average speed for the 3) less than 40 mi/hr
whole 8-mile trip?
 ConcepTest 3.4b Cruising Along II
You drive 4 miles at 30 1) more than 40 mi/hr
mi/hr and then another 4 2) equal to 40 mi/hr
miles at 50 mi/hr. What is
your average speed for the 3) less than 40 mi/hr
whole 8-mile trip?

It is not 40 mi/hr! Remember that the average speed is

distance/time. Since it takes longer to cover 4 miles at the
slower speed, you are actually moving at 30 mi/hr for a
longer period of time! Therefore, your average speed is
closer to 30 mi/hr than it is to 50 mi/hr.
 ConcepTest 3.5 Velocity in One Dimension
If the average velocity is non-zero
1) yes
over some time interval, does
this mean that the instantaneous 2) no
velocity is never zero during the 3) it depends
same interval?
 ConcepTest 3.5 Velocity in One Dimension

If the average velocity is non-zero

1) yes
over some time interval, does
this mean that the instantaneous 2) no
velocity is never zero during the 3) it depends
same interval?

No!!! For example, your average velocity

for a trip home might be 60 mph, but if
you stopped for lunch on the way home,
there was an interval when your
instantaneous velocity was zero, in fact!
 ConcepTest 3.6 Acceleration I
1) Yes
If the velocity of a car is
non-zero (v ¹ 0), can the 2) No
acceleration of the car be 3) Depends on the
zero? velocity
 ConcepTest 3.6 Acceleration I
1) Yes
If the velocity of a car is
non-zero (v ¹ 0), can the 2) No
acceleration of the car be 3) Depends on the
zero? velocity

Sure it can! An object moving with

constant velocity has a non-zero
velocity, but it has zero acceleration
since the velocity is not changing.