KINEMATICS

DESCRIPTION OF
MOTION
KEY TERMS:
• Motion is defined as the movement of an object.
• Motion is exhibited by a change in position.
WAYS OF DESCRIBING MOTION
• The motion of an object traveling in a straight
path is called rectilinear motion.
• That of an object traveling in a curved path is
curvilinear motion.
• An object’s motion traveling at certain angles is
called angular motion.
 MOTION IS RELATIVE
• When do we say that a body is in motion?
• What about the chalkboard?
• Can you say that it has moved or is moving?
• How then do we describe motion?
You don’t always need to see something move
to know that motion has taken place.
• A reference point is needed to determine the
position of an object.
• Motion occurs when an object changes its
position relative to a reference point.
• The motion of an object depends on the reference
point that is chosen.
• The Earth’s surface is used as a common
reference point.

• A moving object can be used as a reference point

as well.
 DISTANCE
AND
DISPLACEMENT
 DISTANCE AND DISPLACEMENT
• The total path length traversed by an object
moving from one location to another is known as
distance while the separation of that object and a
reference point is known as displacement.
Illustrating displacement
• Consider this:
Practice set:
• On his way to school, Jet traveled 100 m N, 300
m East, 100 m North, 100 m East, 100 m North.
• a. Find the total distance traveled by Jet.
• b. Determine the displacement made by Jet.
Solution:
• A. dT = d1 + d2 + d3 + d4 + d5
= 100 m + 300 m + 100 m + 100 m
+ 100 m
dT = 700 m
• B. dT = √dx2 + dy2
= √(400 m)2 + (300 m)2
= √250 000 m2
dT = 500 m
 SPEED
AND
VELOCITY
 SPEED
• The measure of how fast something is moving is
known as speed.
• Speed is the rate at which distance is covered at a
given time.
• The speed at any instant is called instantaneous
speed.
• Average speed is the distance traveled divided by
the total time elapsed in traveling that distance.
Average speed (v) = distance traveled (m)
total time elapsed (s)
v = d2 – d1 = △d
t2 – t1 △t
• When an average speed gains at a constant rate:
v = v i + vf
2
 VELOCITY
• When a direction is associated with speed, you
will have a new known as velocity.
• The magnitude of the velocity is the same as the
speed.
Sample Problem:
• 1. Rachel watches a thunderstorm from her window.
She sees the flash of lightning bolt and begins
counting the seconds until she hears the clap of
thunder 5.0 seconds later. Assume that the speed of
sound in air is 340.0 m/s and the light was seen
instantaneously. How far away was the lightning bolt?
• Given: v = 340.0 m/s Find:
△t = 5.0 s △d
• Solution:
△d = v△t
= (340.0 m/s) (5.0 s)
△d = 1700 m
• 2. A car starts from rest and attains a speed of 50
m/s in 15 seconds. How far has the car traveled
in 15 seconds?

Given: vi = o Find:
vf = 50 m/s d
t = 15 s
• Solution:
d = vt
= vi + v f
2
= 0 + 50 m/s (15 s)
2
= (25 m/s) (15 s)
d = 375 m
ACCELERATION:
CHANGING
VELOCITY
 ACCELERATION
• An object is accelerating when it speeds up,
slows down ( usually called deceleration) or
changes direction.
• Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity at a
given time interval.
acceleration = change in velocity (m/s)
elapsed time (s)
a = △v
△t
a = v f – vi
t
Sample Problem:
• 1. Michael is driving his sports car at 30 m/s
when he sees a dog on the road ahead. He slams
on the brakes and comes to a stop in 3.0 seconds.
What was the acceleration of Michael’s car?
• Given: vf = 30 m/s Find:
vi = o a
△t = 3.0 s
• Solution:
a = v f – vi
t
= 0 – 30 m/s
3.0 s
a = -10 m/s2
The car slows down at the rate of 10 m/s every
second.
Practice Set:
• 1. A train accelerates from 30 km/h in 15.0
seconds. Find its (a) acceleration and (b) the
distance it travels during this time.
Solution:
• 1. a. a = vf – vi
t
= 12.5 m/s – 8.3 m/s
15 s
= 4.2 m/s
15 s
a = 0.28 m/s2
• b. d = vi – vf t
2
= 8.3 m/s + 12.5 m/s (15 s)
2
= (10.4 m/s)(15 s)
d = 126 m