Kinematics and One

Dimensional Motion:
Non-Constant Acceleration

8.01
W01D3
Today’s Reading Assignment:
W02D1

Young and Freedman: Sections 2.1-2.6

Kinematics and One
Dimensional Motion
 Kinematics Vocabulary
• Kinema means movement in Greek

• Mathematical description of motion

– Position
– Time Interval
– Displacement
– Velocity; absolute value: speed
– Acceleration
– Averages of the latter two quantities.
 Coordinate System in One
Dimension
Used to describe the position of a point in space

A coordinate system consists of:

1. An origin at a particular point in space

2. A set of coordinate axes with scales and labels
3. Choice of positive direction for each axis: unit vectors
4. Choice of type: Cartesian or Polar or Spherical

Example: Cartesian One-Dimensional Coordinate System

 Position
• A vector that points from origin to body.
• Position is a function of time
• In one dimension:


x(t )  x(t )ˆi
 Displacement Vector
Change in position
vector of the object
during the time
interval t  t2  t1
 Concept Question:
Displacement
An object goes from one point in space to another.
After the object arrives at its destination, the
magnitude of its displacement is:

1) either greater than or equal to

2) always greater than

3) always equal to

4) either smaller than or equal to

5) always smaller than

6) either smaller or larger than

the distance it traveled.

 Average Velocity

The average velocity, r
, is the displacement
divided by the time interval
t

The x-component of the average velocity is given

by
 Instantaneous Velocity
and Differentiation
• For each time interval
t
, calculate the x-component of the average velocity

• Take limit as sequence of the x-component average velocities

t  0
• The limiting value of this sequence is x-component of the instantaneous velocity at
the time t .
 Instantaneous Velocity
x-component of the velocity is equal to the slope of the
tangent line of the graph of x-component of position vs.
time at time t
 Concept Question: One
Dimensional Kinematics
The graph shows the position as a
function of time for two trains
running on parallel tracks. For
times greater than t = 0, which of
the following is true:

1. At time tB, both trains have the

same velocity.
2. Both trains speed up all the time.
3. Both trains have the same velocity
at some time before tB, .
4. Somewhere on the graph, both
trains have the same acceleration.
 Average Acceleration
Change in instantaneous velocity divided by the time interval

t  t2  t1
The x-component of the average acceleration
 Instantaneous Acceleration
and Differentiation
• For each time interval
t
, calculate the x-component of the average acceleration

• Take limit as sequence of the x-component average accelerations

t  0
• The limiting value of this sequence is x-component of the instantaneous acceleration at
the time t .
 Instantaneous Acceleration
The x-component of acceleration is equal to the slope of
the tangent line of the graph of the x-component of the
velocity vs. time at time t
 Table Problem: Model
Rocket
A person launches a home-built model rocket straight up into the air at y
= 0 from rest at time t = 0 . (The positive y-direction is upwards). The fuel
burns out at t = t0. The position of the rocket is given by

 
 positive. Find
with a0 andygare
1 a
 ( a0  g )t 
2 the 0y-components
t 6
/ t 4
0 ;  tthe
0 of  tvelocity
0
and
acceleration of  2 rocket as a function
the 30 of time. Graph ay vs t for 0 < t
< t0.
 

 
Non-Constant Acceleration
and Integration
 Velocity as the Integral of
Acceleration
The area under the graph of
the x-component of the
acceleration vs. time is the
change in velocity
t t i N

 a (t )dt   lim  a (t )t

t 0
x
ti  0
i 1
x i i  Area (a x , t )
 Position as the Integral of
Velocity
Area under the graph of x-component of
the velocity vs. time is the displacement
dx
vx (t ) 
dt
t  t

 v (t )dt   x(t )  x
t  0
x 0

Ei is the error in the approximation for each interval

 Summary: Time-Dependent
Acceleration
• Acceleration is a non-
constant function of time

ax (t )

• Change in velocity
t  t
vx (t )  vx ,0   a (t )dt 
t 0
x

• Change in position
t  t
x(t )  x0   v (t )dt 
t 0
x
 Table Problem: Sports Car
At t = 0 , a sports car starting at rest at x = 0 accelerates with an x-component of acceleration
given by

and zero afterwards with

(1) Find expressions for the velocity and position vectors of the sports as functions of time for t >0.

(2) Sketch graphs of the x-component of the position, velocity and acceleration of the sports car
as a function of time for
t >0
 Concept Question
A particle, starting at rest at t = 0, experiences a non-constant
acceleration ax(t) . It’s change of position can be found by

1. Differentiating ax(t) twice.

1. Integrating ax(t) twice.

1. (1/2) ax(t) times t2.

1. None of the above.

1. Two of the above.

 Next Reading Assignment:

Young and Freedman: Sections 3.1-3.3, 3.5