Applications of Differentiation

Kinematics
IB DP Analysis and approaches HL

24.04.2024
Learning objectives :
● Understand velocity and acceleration as the first and second derivatives
of position with respect to time

● Apply differentiation to solve real-world problems involving motion

● Interpret motion graphs and understand their significance in differential

calculus
Quick recap of some terms you’ve learnt earlier
● Scalars

● Vectors

● Displacement and Distance

● Velocity and Speed

● Acceleration
Kinematics
Kinemetics is the description of motion; it concerns only the accurate description of the
positions of objects, and the change in their positions. It does not deal with the sources of
their motion
● Displacement is a vector which points from the initial position of an object to its final
position. The standard units of displacement are meters.

● Velocity is a vector which shows the direction and rate of motion.

● Acceleration is a vector which shows the direction and magnitude of changes in velocity. Its
standard units are meters per second per second, or meters per second squared.
Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration can all be written as functions of time:

Displacement: s(t)
Velocity: v(t)
Acceleration: a(t)
What do first and second derivatives of a
function tell us?
a(t)= v’(t)=s’’(t)
Let’s work out problems: 1, 3, 4, 6 from exercise 4T
Thank you!