Chapter 2

Describing
Motion
Scalar and Vector Quantities

• A scalar quantity is any quantity in physics that

has magnitude only.
• A vector quantity is any quantity in physics that
has both magnitude and direction .
• Vector quantities are distinguished from scalar
quantities by a small arrow above the symbol
representing the quantity.
Motion

• An object is in motion when its position changes relative to another object.

• To be able to describe motion we have to refer to a constant point called the reference
point.
• The reference point is a place or object used for comparison to determine if something is
in motion.
• Objects that are fixed relative to earth, such as a building, a tree, or a sign, make good
reference points.
Distance and displacement
• Distance: the total length of the path between two points.
• Distance is describes by its magnitude only.
• Displacement: the direct distance between a starting (initial) point and an ending (final)
point.
• Displacement is described by its magnitude and its direction.
• If an object goes back to where is started in certain time, then its displacement is zero. Its
distance would be the total length of the journey.
Distance
Distanceand
anddisplacement
displacement
Speed and Velocity
•
Speed and Velocity
Speed and Velocity
Uniform and non-uniform speed
• A body is said to be moving with a uniform speed if it covers equal distances in equal
intervals of time.
• A body is said to be moving with a non-uniform (variable) speed/ velocity if it covers
unequal distance/displacement in equal intervals of time.
 Instantaneous and average velocity

• For a body moving with variable velocity, the velocity at any instant is called its instantaneous
velocity.

• To measure instantaneous velocity, the time interval shall be small enough, so that the direction of
the motion of a body does not change during this interval.
• It is the ratio of the total displacement of a body to the total time taken for the journey.
 Distance-time graph

• A distance-time graph tells us how far an object has moved

with time.
• When an object is stationary, the line on the graph is
horizontal.
• When an object is moving at a steady(constant) speed in a
straight line, the line on the graph is straight but sloped
• the steeper the line, the faster the object is travelling.
• A line with a negative gradient would indicate motion going
backwards.
• If the graph is a curve , Speed is not constant and the object is
accelerating.
Non-uniform speed

The line on this graph is curving

The line on this graph is curving
downwards. This shows a
upwards. This shows an increase
decrease in speed.
in speed, since the line is getting
The object covers less distance
steeper.
over time
 Linear graph

Slope or gradient
•
 Curved distance-time graph
Example: a bus is taking some children to school. The bus has to stop a few times.
The figure below shows the distance–time graph for part of the journey.
What is the speed?

1. Find the gradient at 45 seconds.

We are asked to find the speed of the bus at 45 seconds, so we need to find the
gradient of the graph at 45 seconds. d of the bus at 45 seconds
2. Draw a tangent at 45 seconds.
At the time 45 seconds on the x axis, find the corresponding y axis value. At this
point, draw a tangent to the curve.
3. Find the distance and time.
Using the graph, find values for distance and time from the tangent.
Distance = 185 metres
Time = 60 – 10
Time = 50 seconds
4. Use the gradient equation.

Now that we have values for distance and time, we can use our formula change in y / change in x to find the

speed at 45 s.
gradient = change in y / change in x
Gradient = speed
speed = distance / time
Distance / time = 185 / 50
speed = 3.7 m/s

5. Use the gradient equation.

Now that we have values for distance and time, we can use our formula change in y / change in x to find the

speed at 45 s.
gradient = change in y / change in x
Gradient = speed
speed = distance / time
Distance / time = 185 / 50
speed = 3.7 m/s
 Acceleration
• Acceleration is a vector quantity, which is defined as the rate at
which an object changes its velocity.
• A change in velocity can be either a change in how fast
something is moving, or a change in the direction it is moving.
• Acceleration occurs when an object changes its speed, its
direction, or both.
• The SI unit of acceleration is m/s².
Speeding up and slowing down
• When you think of acceleration, you probably think of
something speeding up. However, an object that is
slowing down also is accelerating.
• An object is accelerating or decelerating if it is
changing its velocity.

Changing in direction
• Riding a merry-go-round is an example of a change
in direction as an acceleration.
• The speed may remain the same, but the direction
constantly changes.
• An object that moves in a circular motion always
changes its direction, as a result, its velocity
continually changes.
 Velocity-time graph

• Acceleration can be calculated by the gradient of

a velocity-time graph. (Remember gradient is the
difference up divided by the difference across)

• When an object is moving with a constant

velocity, the line on the graph is horizontal ( flat).

• When an object is undergoing constant

acceleration, the line on the graph is straight but
sloped.
 Velocity-time graph

• Curved lines on velocity-time graphs also show changes in velocity, but not with a constant
acceleration or deceleration.
 Describing velocity-time graph

• Example: The speed-time graph shows a 5050-second car journey. Describe the 5050 second
journey.
 Describing velocity-time graph

• Step 1: Split the graph up into distinct sections, these can be seen in the image as A, B, C and D.
• Step 2: In detail describe each part of the journey, ensuring to use numerical values throughout.
 Describing velocity-time graph

• Section A – The car accelerated from 0 to 15 m/s over

the first 10 seconds (because the line is straight, the
acceleration is constant).
• Section B – The line is flat, meaning the car’s speed did
not change for 10 seconds – meaning it was moving at
a constant speed.
• Section C – The car accelerated up to 25 m/s over the
next 10 seconds.
• Section D – Finally it spent the last 20 seconds
decelerating back down to 0 m/s.
 Calculating acceleration

• Example: The speed-time graph shows a 50-second car journey, find which section of the graph
has the greatest acceleration.
 Finding distance travelled

• The area under the line in a velocity-time graph represents

the distance travelled.

• To find the distance travelled in the graph shown, you need to

find the area of the light-blue triangle and the dark-blue
rectangle.
• The area under the graph can be calculated by using the
equation:
 Calculating total distance travelled

Example: The speed-time graph shows a 50-second car journey, Calculate the total distance
travelled over the 50 seconds.
Distance, Velocity, Time Graph
 Understand that a scalar quantity has magnitude (size) only and
that a vector quantity has magnitude and direction
Know that the following quantities are scalars: distance, speed,
What you time, mass, energy and temperature
have learned Know that the following quantities are vectors: force, weight,
velocity, acceleration, momentum, electric field strength and
gravitational field strength
 Define speed as distance travelled per unit time; recall and use the
equation

Define velocity as speed in a given direction

Recall and use the equation
average speed = total distance travelled
total time taken

What you Sketch, plot and interpret distance–time and speed–time graphs
Determine, qualitatively, from given data or the shape of a distance–
have learned time graph or speed–time graph when an object is:
 at rest
 moving with constant speed
 accelerating
 decelerating
Calculate speed from the gradient of a straight- line section of a
distance–time graph
  Calculate the area under a speed–time graph to determine the distance
travelled for motion with constant speed or constant acceleration
 State that the acceleration of free fall g for an object near to the surface
of the Earth is approximately constant and is approximately 9.8 m/s2
 Define acceleration as change in velocity per unit time; recall and use
the equation

 Determine from given data or the shape of a speed–time graph when an

What you object is moving with:

have learned  constant acceleration

 changing acceleration
 Calculate acceleration from the gradient of a speed–time graph
 Know that a deceleration is a negative acceleration and use this in
calculations
 Describe the motion of objects falling in a uniform gravitational field
with and without air/ liquid resistance (including reference to terminal
velocity)