Kinematics in 1D (Constant Acceleration)

Motion with Constant Acceleration

• Many practical situations:
– The magnitude of the acceleration is
uniform (constant)
– The motion is in a straight line
• It’s useful to derive some equations which
apply in this case ONLY.
– The kinematic equations for uniform
acceleration in one dimension.
Derivation - Constant Acceleration Equations
• In the derivation, its useful to change notation slightly
t1  0 = time when the problem begins
x1  x0 = initial position (at t1 = 0, often x0 = 0)
v1  v0 = initial velocity (at t1 = 0)
t2  t = time when we wish to know other quantities
x2  x = position at time t
v2  v = velocity at time t
a  acceleration = constant
(average & instantaneous accelerations are equal)
• Using these, by definition we have:

– Average velocity:
v = (x - x0)/t (1)
– Acceleration (average = instantaneous):
a = (v - v0)/t (2)
– Average velocity (another form):
v = (½)(v + v0) (3)
Derivation in class!
 Constant Acceleration Equations
• Results (one dimensional motion only!):
v = v0 + at (1)
x = x0 + v0 t + (½)a t2 (2)
v2 = (v0)2 + 2a (x - x0) (3)
v = (½) (v + v0) (4)

NOT VALID UNLESS a = CONSTANT!!!

Usually x0 = 0. Sometimes v0 = 0
All we need for 1 dimensional constant-acceleration problems:
NOT VALID UNLESS a = CONSTANT!!!
 Physics and Equations
IMPORTANT!!!
• Even though these equations & their applications
are important, Physics is not a collection of
formulas to memorize & blindly apply!
• Physics is a set of PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES.
• Blindly searching for the “equation which will
work for this problem” can be DANGEROUS!!!!
• On exams, you get to have an 8.5´´  11´´ sheet
with anything written on it (both sides) you wish.
On quizzes, I will give you relevant formulas.
 Problem Solving Strategies
1. Read the whole problem. Make sure you understand it. Read it again.
2. Decide on the objects under study & what the time interval is.
3. Draw a diagram & choose coordinate axes.
4. Write down the known (given) quantities, & the unknown ones needed.
5. What physics applies? Plan an approach to a solution.
6. Which equations relate known & unknown quantities? Are they valid
in this situation? Solve algebraically for the unknown quantities, & check that your result
is sensible (correct dimensions).

7. Calculate the solution, round it to appropriate number of significant figures.

8. Look at the result - is it reasonable? Does it agree with a rough estimate?
9. Check the units again.
Example: Sprinter

(1)

(2) SOLUTIONS
(3) a = 4.41 m/s2
t = 2.61 m/s2
(4)
Freely Falling Objects
• One of the most important & common special cases of motion with
constant acceleration:

“FREE FALL”
Objects falling due to gravity near the surface
of Earth. Neglect air resistance. Near Earth’s
surface, all objects experience approximately
the same acceleration due to gravity.
• Use the one-dimensional constant
acceleration equations
(with some changes in notation,
as we will see)
 • Experiment:
– Ball & light piece of paper dropped at the same
time. Repeated with wadded up paper.

• In the absence of air resistance,

all objects fall with the same
acceleration, although this may
be tricky to tell by testing in an
environment where there is air
resistance.
• Experiment:
– Rock & feather
dropped at the same
time in air. Repeated
in vacuum.

The acceleration due to gravity at the Earth’s surface is approximately

9.80 m/s2. At a given location on the Earth and in the absence of air
resistance, all objects fall with the same constant acceleration
regardless of their mass.
• Acceleration of falling objects is always the
same, no matter how light or heavy.
• Acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.8 m/s2
• First proven by Galileo Galilei

Legend: Dropped
objects off of the
leaning tower of Pisa.
• Acceleration due to gravity
g = 9.8 m/s2 (approximately)
– Depends on location on Earth, latitude, & altitude:
• Note: Our treatment is slightly different than the
book’s, but it is, of course, equivalent!
• To treat motion of falling objects, use the same
equations we already have, but change notation
slightly:
Replace a by g = 9.8 m/s2
– But in the equations it could have a + or a - sign
in front of it! Discuss this next!
• Usually, we consider vertical motion to be in the y
direction, so replace x by y and x0 by y0 (often y0 = 0)
 Sign of g in 1d Equations
• Magnitude (size) of g = 9.8 m/s2 (POSITIVE!)
– But, acceleration is a vector (1 dimen), with 2 possible
directions.
– Call these + and -.
– However, which way is + and which way is - is
ARBITRARY & UP TO US!
– May seem “natural” for “up” to be + y and “down” to be
- y, but we could also choose (we sometimes will!)
“down” to be + y and “up” to be - y
– So, in equations g could have a + or a - sign in front of it,
depending on our choice!
 Directions of Velocity & Acceleration
• Objects in free fall ALWAYS have downward
acceleration.
• Still use the same equations for objects thrown
upward with some initial velocity v0.
• An object goes up until it stops at some point & then
it falls back down. Acceleration is always g in the
downward direction. For the first half of flight, the
velocity is UPWARD.
 For the first part of the flight, velocity &
acceleration are in opposite directions!
Equations for Bodies in Free Fall
• Written taking “up” as + y!
v = v0 - g t (1)
y = y0 + v0 t – (½)gt2 (2)
v2 = (v0)2 - 2g (y - y0) (3)
v = (½)(v + v0) (4)
g = 9.8 m/s2

Usually y0 = 0. Sometimes v0 = 0
Equations for Bodies in Free Fall
• Written taking “down” as + y!
v = v0 + g t (1)
y = y0 + v0 t + (½)gt2 (2)
v2 = (v0)2 + 2g (y - y0) (3)
v = (½)(v + v0) (4)
g = 9.8 m/s2

Usually y0 = 0. Sometimes v0 = 0
 ConcepTest 2.8b Acceleration II
When throwing a ball straight up, a) both v = 0 and a = 0
which of the following is true about b) v  0, but a = 0
its velocity v and its acceleration a c) v = 0, but a  0
at the highest point in its path? d) both v 0 and a  0
e) not really sure

At the top, clearly v = 0 because the ball has

momentarily stopped. But the velocity of the y
ball is changing, so its acceleration is definitely
not zero! Otherwise it would remain at rest!!

Follow-up: …and the value of a is…?

 ConcepTest 2.9a Free Fall I
You throw a ball straight up a) its acceleration is constant
into the air. After it leaves everywhere
your hand, at what point in its
b) at the top of its trajectory
flight does it have the
maximum value of c) halfway to the top of its
acceleration? trajectory
d) just after it leaves your hand
e) just before it returns to your
hand on the way down
 ConcepTest 2.9a Free Fall I
You throw a ball straight up a) its acceleration is constant
into the air. After it leaves everywhere
your hand, at what point in its
b) at the top of its trajectory
flight does it have the
maximum value of c) halfway to the top of its
acceleration? trajectory
d) just after it leaves your hand
e) just before it returns to your
hand on the way down

The ball is in free fall once it is released. Therefore, it is entirely under

the influence of gravity, and the only acceleration it experiences is g,
which is constant at all points.
 ConcepTest 2.9b Free Fall II

Alice and Bill are at the top of a a) Alice’s ball

building. Alice throws her ball b) it depends on how hard
downward. Bill simply drops the ball was thrown
his ball. Which ball has the c) neither—they both have
greater acceleration just after the same acceleration
release? d) Bill’s ball

Alice Bill
v0

vA vB
 ConcepTest 2.9b Free Fall II

Alice and Bill are at the top of a a) Alice’s ball

building. Alice throws her ball b) it depends on how hard
downward. Bill simply drops the ball was thrown
his ball. Which ball has the c) neither—they both have
greater acceleration just after the same acceleration
release? d) Bill’s ball

Both balls are in free fall once they are Alice Bill
released, therefore they both feel the v0
acceleration due to gravity (g). This
acceleration is independent of the initial vA vB
velocity of the ball.

Follow-up: Which one has the greater velocity when they hit
the ground?
 ConcepTest 2.10a Up in the Air I

You throw a ball upward with an a) more than 10 m/s

initial speed of 10 m/s. Assuming b) 10 m/s
that there is no air resistance, what c) less than 10 m/s
is its speed when it returns to you? d) zero
e) need more information
 ConcepTest 2.10a Up in the Air I

You throw a ball upward with an a) more than 10 m/s

initial speed of 10 m/s. Assuming b) 10 m/s
that there is no air resistance, what c) less than 10 m/s
is its speed when it returns to you? d) zero
e) need more information

The ball is slowing down on the way up due to

gravity. Eventually it stops. Then it accelerates
downward due to gravity (again). Since a = g on
the way up and on the way down, the ball reaches
the same speed when it gets back to you as it had
when it left.
 ConcepTest 2.10b Up in the Air II
Alice and Bill are at the top of a cliff of height a) vA < vB
H. Both throw a ball with initial speed v0, Alice
b) vA = vB
straight down and Bill straight up. The speeds
of the balls when they hit the ground are vA and c) vA > vB
vB. If there is no air resistance, which is true? d) impossible to tell

Alice v0 Bill
v0
H
vA vB
 ConcepTest 2.10b Up in the Air II
Alice and Bill are at the top of a cliff of height a) vA < vB
H. Both throw a ball with initial speed v0, Alice
b) vA = vB
straight down and Bill straight up. The speeds
of the balls when they hit the ground are vA and c) vA > vB
vB. If there is no air resistance, which is true? d) impossible to tell

Bill’s ball goes up and comes back

down to Bill’s level. At that point, it is Alice v0 Bill
moving downward with v0, the same v0
as Alice’s ball.
ball Thus, it will hit the H
ground with the same speed as vA vB
Alice’s ball.

Follow-up: What happens if there is air resistance?

 ConcepTest 2.11 Two Balls in the Air

A ball is thrown straight upward with a) at height h

some initial speed. When it reaches the b) above height h/2
top of its flight (at a height h), a second
c) at height h/2
ball is thrown straight upward with the
d) below height h/2 but
same initial speed. Where will the balls
above 0
cross paths?
e) at height 0
 ConcepTest 2.11 Two Balls in the Air

A ball is thrown straight upward with a) at height h

some initial speed. When it reaches the b) above height h/2
top of its flight (at a height h), a second
c) at height h/2
ball is thrown straight upward with the
d) below height h/2 but above 0
same initial speed. Where will the balls
cross paths? e) at height 0

The first ball starts at the top with no initial speed. The second ball
starts at the bottom with a large initial speed. Since the balls travel
the same time until they meet, the second ball will cover more
distance in that time, which will carry it over the halfway point before
the first ball can reach it.

Follow-up: How could you calculate where they meet?

 ConcepTest 2.12a Throwing Rocks I
You drop a rock off a
a) the separation increases as they fall
bridge. When the rock
has fallen 4 m, you drop b) the separation stays constant at 4 m
a second rock. As the c) the separation decreases as they fall
two rocks continue to d) it is impossible to answer without
fall, what happens to more
their separation? information
 ConcepTest 2.12a Throwing Rocks I
You drop a rock off a
a) the separation increases as they fall
bridge. When the rock
has fallen 4 m, you drop b) the separation stays constant at 4 m
a second rock. As the c) the separation decreases as they fall
two rocks continue to d) it is impossible to answer without
fall, what happens to more information
their separation?

At any given time, the first rock always has a greater velocity than the
second rock, therefore it will always be increasing its lead as it falls.
Thus, the separation will increase.
 ConcepTest 2.12b Throwing Rocks II
You drop a rock off a
a) both increase at the same rate
bridge. When the rock
has fallen 4 m, you drop b) the velocity of the first rock increases
a second rock. As the faster than the velocity of the second
two rocks continue to c) the velocity of the second rock
fall, what happens to increases faster than the velocity of the
their velocities? first
d) both velocities stay constant
 ConcepTest 2.12b Throwing Rocks II
You drop a rock off a
a) both increase at the same rate
bridge. When the rock
has fallen 4 m, you drop b) the velocity of the first rock increases
a second rock. As the faster than the velocity of the second
two rocks continue to c) the velocity of the second rock
fall, what happens to increases faster than the velocity of the
their velocities? first
d) both velocities stay constant

Both rocks are in free fall, thus under the influence of gravity only.
That means they both experience the constant acceleration of gravity.
Since acceleration is defined as the change of velocity, both of their
velocities increase at the same rate.

Follow-up: What happens when air resistance is present?

Exercise: Window View
Sitting in a second-story apartment, a physicist
notices a ball moving straight upward just outside
her window. The ball is visible for 0.25 s as it
moves a distance of 1.05 m from the bottom to the
top of the window. (a) How much time does it take
before the ball reappears? (b) What is the greatest
height of the ball above the top of the window?
Exercise: Ball Thrown Up at the Edge of a Cliff

A ball is thrown up at speed 15.0 m/s by a

person on the edge of a cliff. The ball can
fall to the base of the cliff 50.0 m below.
Ignore air resistance. Calculate:
a. The time it takes the ball to reach the
base of the cliff.
b. The total distance traveled by the ball.
Exercise: Two balls start their motion at the
same time, with ball A dropped from rest and
ball B thrown upward with an initial speed v 0.
Which of the five plots shown in the figure
corresponds to (a) ball A and (b) ball B?