Position, Velocity and

Acceleration
3.2
Position, Velocity and
Acceleration
 All fall under rectilinear motion
 Motion along a straight line
 We are normally given a function relating the
position of a moving object with respect to
time.
 Velocity is the derivative of position
 Acceleration is the derivative of velocity
Position, Velocity and
Acceleration
 Position
 s(t) or x(t)
 Velocity
 v(t) or s’(t)
 Acceleration
 a(t) or v’(t) or s’’(t)
 Speed is the absolute value of velocity
 Example
 If the position of a particle at time t is given by
the equation below, find the velocity and
acceleration of the particle at time, t = 5.
s (t )  t 3  11t 2  24t
a (t )  v' (t )  s ' ' (t )  6t  22
v(t )  s ' (t )  3t 2  22t  24
a (5)  6(5)  22  8
v(5)  3(5)  22(5)  24  11
2
Position, Velocity and
Acceleration
 When velocity is negative, the particle is moving to
the left or backwards
 When velocity is positive, the particle is moving to
the right or forwards
 When velocity and acceleration have the same sign,
the speed is increasing
 When velocity and acceleration have opposite signs,
the speed is decreasing.
 When velocity = 0 and acceleration does not, the
particle is momentarily stopped and changing
direction.
Example
 If the position of a particle is given below, find
the point at which the particle changes
direction.
Changes direction
s (t )  t  12t  36t  18
3 2
when velocity = 0
and acceleration
does not
v(t )  3t 2  24t  36
0  3t 2  24t  36
a (t )  6t  24 0  t 2  8t  12
a (6)  12 0  (t  6)(t  2)
a (2)  12 t  6, 2
 Example
 Using the previous function, find the interval
of time during which the particle is slowing
down.
V(t) = 0 at 2 and
s (t )  t 3  12t 2  36t  18 6, a(t) = 0 at 4
v(t )  3t 2  24t  36
a (t )  6t  24
0 2 4 6
Particle is slowing
down when,
t
0<t<2 v(t) + - - +
4<t<6
a(t) - - + +
Example When velocity = 0

When does this occur?

 How far does a particle travel between the
eighth and tenth seconds if its position is
given by: s (t )  t 2  6t

To find the total

v(t )  2t  6
distance we The object may travel forward
must find if the 0  2t  6 then backwards, thus s(10) –
s(8) is really only the
particle 3 displacement
is not in our interval
not theso it will
changes 3t not affect
total
our problem!
distance!
directions at
any time in the
interval
s (10)  s (8)  40  16  24
Example
 How far does a particle travel between zero
and four seconds if its position is given by:
s (t )  t 4  8t 2 s ( 2)  s ( 0 )  s ( 4)  s ( 2 )

v(t )  4t 3  16t  16  32  128  16

v(t )  4t (t 2  4)
0  4t (t  2)(t  2)  160

t  0, 2,  2
Divide into intervals; 02 and 24
At any time t, the position of a particle moving along an
axis is: s (t )  t 3  6t 2  9t

A. Find the body’s acceleration each time the velocity is zero

v(t )  3t 2  12t  9
C. Find the total distance traveled by the body from t = 0 to t = 2
a (t )  6t  12
s (1) 0s(0t)2  4s (t 2) 3 s (1)
)  6= 0 at 1!
a (1Velocity
 4  00  (2t  34)(t  1) a (3)  6
6 t  3, 1
Divide into intervals; 01 and 12

B. Find the body’s speed each time the acceleration is zero

a (t )  6t  12
0  6t  12
v(2)  12  24  9  3
t2
At any time t, the position of a particle moving along an
axis is: 3
t
s (t )   2t  3t
2

3
A. When is the body moving forward? backwards? 1 3

v(t )  t 2  4t  3
v(t) + - +
0  (t  3)(t  1)
t  3, 1 Forward (0, 1) and (3, ∞)
Backwards from (1, 3)
B. When is the velocity increasing? decreasing?

a (t )  2t  4 0 1 2 3
Velocity increasing:
t ∞)2
(1, 2) and (3, t
Velocity decreasing: v(t) + - - +
(0, 1) and (2, 3)
a(t) - - + +