WEEK 2

Dynamics of Particles

POSITION, VELOCITY AND

ACCELERATION

The movements of particle on

extremely horizontal or vertical
directions
 WHY LEARNING ABOUT MOTION OF RIGID BODIES?

Erratic and uncontrollable motions?

• Flooded river
• Hurricane
• Runaway automobile
Simple movement
• etc
Simple movement Simple movement
Simple movement Complex Simple movement

Simple movement
Simple movement
Simple movement
Movements:
Simple
Complex
 THE SYSTEM OF PARTICLES

Kinematics: Studies motion without its causes

Kinetics: Relating forces and torques to motion

Dynamics: Kinematics and kinetics of rigid bodies and

continua

The foundation of Dynamics Newton Laws

The existence of inertial frame: a single particle stays fix or

moves uniformly along a line
In an inertial frame; F = m . a

Action and re-Action forces are equal and act in opposite

directions
How do we describe motion :
1. Words
2. Diagrams
3. Graphs
4. Equations
 DESCRIBING MOTION WITH WORDS

The motion of objects can be described by words.

Even a person without a background in physics has a collection

of words, which can be used to describe moving objects. For
example, going faster, stopped, slowing down, speeding up,
and turning provide a sufficient vocabulary for describing the
motion of objects.

In physics, we use these words as the language of kinematics.

1. Distance and Displacement

2. Speed and Velocity
3. Acceleration
These words which are used to describe the motion of objects
can be divided into two categories.

The quantity is either a vector or scalar.

1. Scalars are quantities which are described by a

magnitude only.

2. Vectors are quantities which are described by both a

magnitude and a direction.
 Distance Displacement
Distance refers to the total Displacement refers to the
length of travel irrespective distance moved in a
of the direction of the particular direction.
motion.
It is the object's overall change
It is a scalar quantity. in position.

SI unit: meter (m) It is a vector quantity.

SI unit: meter (m)
Other common Other common units: kilometer
units: kilometer (km), (km), centimeter (cm)
centimeter (cm)

1 dS (t )
x  (vi vf )t v (t ) 
2 dt
 Distance vs. Displacement
 You drive the path, and your odometer goes up by 8
miles (your distance).
 Your displacement is the shorter directed distance from
start to stop (green arrow).
 What if you drove in a circle?

start

stop
Example 1
A student walks 4 m East, 2 m South, 4 m West, and finally 2
m North.

DISTANCE?
Total distance = 12 m

During the course of his motion, the total length of travel is

12 m.
 DISPLACEMENT?

Total displacement = 0 m

When he is finished walking, there is no change in his

position.
The 4 m east is “canceled by” the 4 m west; and the 2 m
south is “canceled by” the 2 m north.
 Speed Velocity

Speed is the rate of change Velocity is the distance

of distance. travelled in a specific
(how fast an object moves)
direction.
(how fast and which way;
It is a scalar quantity. the rate at which position
changes)

It is also defined as the rate of

change of displacement.

It is a vector quantity.

distance travelled change in displaceme nt

Speed  Velocity 
time taken time taken
 Speed Vs Velocity

An object is moving in a circle at a constant speed of 10 m/s.

We say that it has a constant speed but its velocity is not

constant. Why?
Direction of Motion

The direction of the object keeps changing.

When evaluating the velocity of an object, one must keep track
of direction.

The direction of the velocity vector is the same as the direction

which an object is moving. (It would not matter whether the
object is speeding up or slowing down.)

For example:

If an object is moving rightwards, then its velocity is described

as being rightwards.

Boeing 747 moving towards the west with a speed of 260m/s

has a velocity of 260m/s, west.

Note that speed has no direction (it is a scalar) and velocity at any
instant is simply the speed with a direction.
 Instantaneous Speed and Average Speed

As an object moves, it often

undergoes changes in speed.

The speed at any instant is

known as the instantaneous
speed. (From the value shown
by speedometer)

The average speed of the entire journey can be

calculated:
Total distance travelled
Average Speed 
Total time taken
s
v   t lim 0
t

 Acceleration

Acceleration (a) represents how fast an object movement is

speeded up, slow down, or changed direction; the rate at
which velocity changes

change in velocity
Acceleration  is a vector quantity
time taken

dv (t )
a (t ) 
dt
 Calculating Acceleration: Example

 A roller coaster’s velocity at the top of a hill is 10m/s. Two

sec later it reaches the bottom of the hill with a velocity of 26
m/s. What is the acceleration of the roller coaster?
 Vf-Vo
T
26-10
2
8 m/s/s
Calculating Acceleration: Example

 A roller coaster’s velocity at the bottom of a hill is 25 m/s.

Three seconds later it reaches the top of the next hill,
moving at 10 m/s. What is the deceleration of the roller
coaster?

 A= Vf-Vo
T
A = 10-25 = -7.5 m/s/s
2
 Calculating Acceleration: Example
 A car is traveling at 60 km/hr. It accelerates to 85 km/hr in 5
seconds. What is the acceleration of the car?

 A= Vf-Vo
T
A = 85-60 = 5.0 m/s/s
5
 ACCELERATION

t (s) v (mph) t (s) v (m/s)

0 55 0 34
1 57 1 31

2 59 2 28

3 61 3 25

m/s
a = +2 mph / s a = -3 s = -3 m / s 2
 Velocity & Acceleration Sign Chart

VELOCITY
-
+
A
C
C Moving forward; Moving backward;
E +
L Speeding up Slowing down
E
R -
A
T Moving forward; Moving backward;
I Slowing down Speeding up
O
N
 Accelerated Motions
Faster

Very Slow Slow Fast Very Fast

Slower

movements

How are the velocities?

Positively accelerated? Negatively accelerated?

Acceleration is a vector quantity which is defined as the rate at

which an object changes its velocity.
An object is accelerating if it is positively changing its velocity.
 Average and Instantaneous Acceleration

Average Acceleration

v dv
a   t lim a
0
t dt
Instantaneous Acceleration
 Particle Straight Line (Rectilinear) Motion

-1 6 -1 2 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
x , s, v, a
T y p ic a l R e c t ilin e a r M o tio n C o o r d in a te S y s te m

Key feature of straight line motion: Acceleration is always

collinear with the velocity. Examples:

R e c t ilin e a r M o t io n : A c c e l a lw a y s c o llin e a r w it h v.
v
S p e e d in c r e a s in g .
a
v
S p e e d d e c r e a s in g .

a
 Acceleration

Increasing speed and deceleration (decreasing speed)

should not be confused with the directions of velocity and
acceleration:

Speeding up, moving to the right Slowing down, moving to the right

Slowing down, moving to the left

Speeding up, moving to the left
 Fill in the Chart
Initial Velocity Acceleration Motion
+ + Speeding up, moving
right/up
- - Speeding up, moving
left/down
+ - Slowing Down
moving right/up
- + Slowing Down,
moving left/down
- or + 0 Constant Velocity

0 - or + Speeding up from
rest
0 0 Remaining at rest
 Particle Straight Line (Rectilinear) Motion
Key feature of straight line motion: Acceleration is always
collinear with the velocity.
What if accel is NOT collinear with the velocity? You would have
curvilinear motion (to be covered next week).

W h a t if t h e a c c e l is N O T c o llin e a r w it h v ?
W h a t if t h e r e is a n a c c e l c o m p o n e n t to v ?

a = an
v

at A n a t c h a n g e s t h e le n g t h (s p e e d )
o f t h e v v e c t o r.
A n a n = a c h a n g e s t h e d ir e c t io n
o f th e v v e c to r (a c u r v e )!
 Particle Straight Line Motion

S t r a ig h t L in e M o t io n C a s e s :
(1 ) a = c o n s ta n t Various combinations
Today!
(2 ) a = f(t) of the basic kinematic
variables a, v, s, and t.
(3 ) a = f(v ) They all can be
(4 ) a = f(s ) N e x t c la s s . expressed as functions
(5 ) v = f(s ) of another variable.
...e t c ...
 Straight Line Motion:
Acceleration= Constant Case
The defining kinematic equations may be integrated for
acceleration = constant to get the familiar equations shown
below. Memorize these! You will use them often. Use them
ONLY for acceleration = constant

A c c e l = C o n s t a n t E q u a t io n s
D e fin in g E q n s In te g ra te d (a = c o n s t)

1 a = dv v = v0 + at
dt
d s
2 v = s = s 0 + v 0 t + 12 a t 2
dt
3 a ds = v dv v 2 = v 20 + 2 a ( s - s 0 )
Equations for Uniformly Accelerated Linear Motion

v 2  v1  at dS
v
dt
s  vt

v1  v 2
v  2
2 dv d S
a  2
s  v1t  1 at 2 dt dt
2
2 2
v2  v1  2as
Kinematics Formula Summary
For 1-D motion with constant acceleration:

• v = v0 + a t

• v = (v0 + v ) / 2
avg

1
• x = v0 t +2 ½ at2

• v2 – v02 = 2 a S
(derivations to follow)
Kinematics Derivations
a = v / t (by definition)
a = (vf – v0) / t
 vf = v 0 + a t

v = (v0 + vf ) / 2 will be proven when we do graphing.

avg

x = v t = ½ (v0 + vf) t = ½ (v0 + v0 + a t) t

1
 x = S = v0 t + a t 2 2
(cont.)
 FREE FALL

Any object which is moving and being acted upon only be

the force of gravity is said to be "in a state of free fall.“

 all objects fall freely at g  10 m s-2 when near the earth

and air resistance is negligible.
 speed of a free-falling body increases by 10 m s-1 every
second or when a body is thrown up, its speed decreases
by 10 m s-1 every second.

Although the acceleration due to gravity is considered

constant, it tends to vary slightly over the earth since the
earth is not a perfect sphere.
 Freely Falling Bodies: Acceleration due to Gravity

Near the surface of the This acceleration

Earth, all objects vector is the same
accelerate at the same on the way up, at
rate (ignoring air the top, and on the
resistance). way down!
vt  vo  gt a = -g = -9.8 m/s2
9.8 m/s2
h  ho  vot  1 gt 2
2
Interpretation: Velocity decreases by 9.8 m/s each second,
meaning velocity is becoming less positive or more
negative. Less positive means slowing down while going
up. More negative means speeding up while going down.
Acceleration due to gravity
m
g  9.81 2
s
END