§ 12.

3 Piecewise Continuous Motion

• In some problems, motion can be partitioned into intervals;
in each interval, the motion is smooth, and transitions
between intervals are smooth, but the motion is different in
different intervals.

 In this case, conditions at the end of one interval

become initial conditions for the next interval
Example 1: The v-t graph for the motion of a car as it moves along a
straight road is shown. Draw the s-t graph and determine the average
speed and the distance traveled for the 30 second time interval. The
car starts from rest at s = 0.
Example 2: A missile starting from rest travels along a straight
track and for 10 s has an acceleration as shown. Draw the v-t
graph that describes the motion and find the distance traveled in
10 seconds.
Example 3: A bicyclist starting from rest travels along a straight
road and for 10 s has an acceleration as shown. Determine the time
required to reach a speed of 18 m/s and the corresponding distance
travelled in this time.