Motion Along a

Straight Line
 Content
• Displacement, Time and Average Velocity
• Instantaneous Velocity
• Average and Instantaneous Acceleration
• Motion with constant Acceleration
• Free Falling bodies
• Velocity and Position by Integration
 Motion Along Straight Line
Introduction:
• First step in studying Classical Mechanics
• Kinematics
• Motion in one dimension (1D)
• Translational Motion
• Particle Model
 Describe the moving object as a particle regardless of its size
Displacement, Time
and
Average Velocity
 Representations of Information

Graphical Representation

Tabular Representation

Pictorial Representation
Fig. 2.1 (a) x-t graph and the respective representation for
velocity of moving object.
 Example 1: Given the below are the total distance travelled and direction of
five (5) automobiles for one hour, positive x is directed east. (a) Rank the
following automobile with most positive to most negative. (b)Which trip have
the same average velocity? (c) Is there any trip that have zero average velocity?

𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑏 = 50 𝑘𝑚, 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝐷𝑚𝑜𝑏 = 70 𝑘𝑚, 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡

𝐵𝑚𝑜𝑏 = 50 𝑘𝑚, 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐸𝑚𝑜𝑏 = 20 𝑘𝑚, 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙 20 𝑘𝑚 , 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡

𝐶𝑚𝑜𝑏 = 60 𝑘𝑚, 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙 10𝑘𝑚 , 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡
 Example 1: Solution

(a) Dmob, Amob and Cmob, Emob, Bmob

(b) Amob and Cmob,
(c), Emob,
 Example 2: Fig 3.2 is an x-t graph of the motion of a particle. (a) Rank the
values of the particle’s x-velocity at the points P, Q, R, and S from most
positive to most negative. (b) At which points is positive? (c) At which points is
negative? (d) At which points is zero? (e) Rank the values of the particle’s
speed at the points P, Q, R, and S from fastest to slowest.

(a)P, Q and S, and R

(b) P
(c) R
(d) Q and S
(e) R, P, Q, and S
Instantaneous
Velocity
 Average and
Instantaneous
Acceleration
 Average and
Instantaneous
Acceleration
Motion with
constant
Acceleration
Constant Acceleration:
Formula Description

determine an object’s velocity at any time t if we

know the object’s initial velocity and its
(constant) acceleration

Position as a function of velocity and time for the

particle under constant acceleration model

position as a function of time for the particle

under constant acceleration model

Velocity as a function of position for the particle

under constant acceleration model
Constant Acceleration:
Formula Includes Quantities

t x

t x

x
Example 2.1:Calculating
the Average Velocity and
Speed Find the displacement,
average velocity, and average
speed of the car in Figure 2.1
between positions A and F.

Displacement

Average
Velocity

Average
Figure 2.1
Speed
Example 2.1:

Figure 2.1
Example 2.1:

Figure 2.1
Example 2.1:

Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Example 2.2:

Figure 2.2
Example 2.2:

Figure 2.2
Example 2.2:
(B) Calculate the average velocity during these
two time intervals.

Figure 2.2
Example 2.2:
(B) Calculate the average velocity during these
two time intervals.

Figure 2.2
Example 2.2:
(C) Find the instantaneous velocity of the
particle at t = 2.5 s.

Figure 2.2
Example 2.3:Modeling a Runner as a Particle
A kinesiologist is studying the biomechanics of the human body.
(Kinesiology is the study of the movement of the human body. Notice the
connection to the word kinematics.) She determines the velocity of an
experimental subject while he runs along a straight line at a constant rate.
The kinesiologist starts the stopwatch at the moment the runner passes a
given point and stops it after the runner has passed another point 20 m
away. The time interval indicated on the stopwatch is 4.0 s.
(A)What is the runner’s velocity?
Example 2.3:Modeling a Runner as a Particle
(B) If the runner continues his motion after the stopwatch is stopped, what is his position after 10 s
have passed?
Example 2.4:Graphical
Relationships Between x,
vx, and ax
The position of an object moving
along the x-axis varies with time
as in Figure 2.3. Graph the
velocity versus time and the
acceleration versus time for the
object.

Figure 2.3
Example 2.5:

Figure 2.4
Example 2.5:
(a) Motion with constant acceleration overtaking motion with constant
velocity
(b) A graph of x versus t for each vehicle.
Constant Acceleration:
Formula Includes Quantities

t x

t x

x
Example 2.6: Two Bodies With Different Accelerations
(A)How much time elapses before the officer passes the motorist?
Solving :
Example 2.6: Two Bodies With Different Accelerations
(B)What is the officer’s speed at that time?
Example 2.6: Two Bodies With Different Accelerations
(C) At that time, what distance has each vehicle traveled?
Exercise: Two Bodies With Different Accelerations
Four possible vx-t graphs are shown for the two vehicles in
example 2.6. Which graphs is correct?
Free Falling Bodies
Free Fall:
• Acceleration due to gravity (g)
• g decreases as altitude increases.
• Any freely falling object experiences an acceleration
directed downward, regardless of its initial motion
Motion Under Constant Acceleration
Horizontal Motion Vertical Motion
Example 2.7: The Daring Skydivers
A skydiver jumps out of a hovering helicopter. A few seconds later, another
skydiver jumps out, and they both fall along the same vertical line. Ignore
air resistance so that both skydivers fall with the same acceleration. Does
the difference in their speeds stay the same throughout the fall? Does the
vertical distance between them stay the same throughout the fall?
Example 2.8: Not a Bad Throw for a
Rookie!
A stone thrown from the top of a
building is given an initial velocity of
20.0 m/s straight upward. The stone is
launched 50.0 m above the ground, and
the stone just misses the edge of the roof
on its way down
as shown in the figure
(A) Using tA =0 as the time the stone leaves the thrower’s
hand at position A, determine the time at which the stone
reaches its maximum height
Motion Under Constant Acceleration
Horizontal Motion Vertical Motion
Example 2.8: Not a Bad Throw for a Rookie!
(A) determine the time at which the stone reaches its maximum height

(B) Find the

maximum
height of the
stone
Motion Under Constant Acceleration
Horizontal Motion Vertical Motion
Example 2.8: Not a Bad Throw for a Rookie!
(B) Find the maximum height of the stone
Motion Under Constant Acceleration
Horizontal Motion Vertical Motion
 Example 2.8: Not a Bad Throw for a Rookie!
(C) Determine the velocity of the stone when it returns to the height from which it
was thrown.