Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

KINEMATICS 1-D
1) A car is traveling along a straight road. Match the following combinations of velocity and acceleration with the list of
outcomes.
Posotive velocity and positive
acceleration

Speeding up in the positive X direction

Positive velocity and negative

acceleration

Slowing down in the positive X direction

Negative velocity and positive

acceleration

Speeding up in the negative X direction

Negative velocity and negative

acceleration

Slowing down in the negative X direction

2) Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

An object performing a one dimensional motion can have
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)

Non-zero acceleration and constant velocity

Non-zero acceleration and constant speed
Non-zero acceleration and zero velocity
Non-zero acceleration and zero speed
Positive acceleration and negative velocity
Positive acceleration and positive velocity
Negative acceleration and positive velocity
Negative acceleration and negative velocity
Positive acceleration, negative velocity and increasing speed
Positive acceleration, negative velocity and decreasing speed
Positive acceleration, positive velocity and decreasing speed
Positive acceleration, positive velocity and increasing speed

3) Throwing a ball straight up into the air provides an example of free-fall motion. At the instant the ball reaches its maximum
height, which of the following statements is true?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

The balls
The balls
The balls
The balls
The balls
The balls

acceleration points down, and its velocity points up

acceleration is zero, and its velocity points up
acceleration points up, and its velocity points up
acceleration points down, and its velocity is zero
acceleration points up, and its velocity is zero
acceleration is zero, and its velocity points down

4) There is a simple test that you can perform to determine your reaction time. Your
partner holds a meter stick, and you get ready to catch it when your partner releases it,
as shown in the left frame of the figure. From the distance that the meter stick falls
after it is released until you grab it (shown in the right frame), you can determine your
reaction time. Show that this time is given by
=

2


5) Sketch a graph of reaction time as a function of the distance the meter stick drops. Discuss whether this method is more
precise for reaction times around 0,1
or those around 0,3

6) If the reaction time of person  determined with the meter stick method is twice as long as that of person , then the
displacement  measured for person  relative to the displacement  for person is:
a)

 = 2

b)  = 


c)  = 2 

d)  = 4

e)  =  


Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

7) Which of these statements is (are) true?

a)
b)
c)

An object can have zero acceleration and be at rest

An object can have nonzero acceleration and be at rest
An object can have zero acceleration and be in motion

8) A car moves along a straight road with constant

velocity. Starting at time  = 2,5
, the driver
accelerates with constant acceleration. The resulting
position of the car as a function of time is shown by
the blue curve in the figure.
a) What is the value of the constant velocity of the car
before  = 2,5
? (the dashed blue line is the path the
care would take in the absence of the acceleration)
b) What is the velocity of the car at  = 7,5
? Use a
graphical technique
c) What is the value of the constant acceleration?
9) The position of a particle along the  axis is given by  =  +  +   . If  = 17,2  = 10,1 and  = 1,1. Find:

a)
b)
c)
d)

The average velocity of the particle for the time interval 0; 10"
. Ans: 0,90$/

The velocity of the particle as a function of time

The instant when the velocity is zero. Ans: 4,59

Make a graph showing both the position and the velocity of the particle as a function of time

10) The position of a particle as a function of time is given as  = 0,25 ' ()* where + is a positive constant.
a)
b)
c)
d)

At what time is the particle at 2 ?

What is the speed of the particle as a function of time?
What is the acceleration of the particle as a function of time?
What are the SI units for +?

11) The position versus time for an object is given as  =  ,  ( + a)

b)

What is the instantaneous velocity as a function of time?

What is the instantaneous acceleration as a function of time?

12) The position of a particle moving along the  .

is given by  = 11 + 14 2  , where  is in seconds and  is in
meters. What is the average velocity during the time interval from  = 1 to = 4 ?
13) The position of a particle moving along the  .
is given by  = 3  2 (, where  is in seconds and  is in meters.
What is the position of the particle when it achieves its maximum speed in the positive  direction?
14) The velocity of a particle moving along the  .
is given,
for  > 0, by 01  = 50 2 ( $/
, where  is in seconds.
What is the acceleration of the particle when (after  = 0
it achieves its maximum displacement in the positive 
direction?

15) A car moving in the  direction has an acceleration 1 that

varies with time as shown in the figure to the right. At the
moment  = 0 the car is located at  = 12$ and has a
velocity of 6$/
in the positive  direction. What is the
velocity of the car at  = 5
?

16) An object stars from rest and has an acceleration given by  = 2  + 4 in SI units.
a)
b)

What is the objects velocity after 5

?
How far has the object moved after 5
?

Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

17) A car is moving along the  .

and its velocity 01 varies with time as shown in the figure. If 3 = 2 at 3 = 2,
a)
b)

What is the position of the car at  = 10?

What is the displacement  of the car from  = 4 to = 9 ?

18) A motorcycle starts from rest and accelerates as shown in the figure. Determine a) the motorcycles speed at  = 4 and at
 = 14 and b) the distance traveled in the first 14

19) On the graph of position as a function of time, mark the points where the velocity is zero, and the points where the
acceleration is zero.

20) The vertical position of a ball suspended by a rubber band is given by the equation 5 = 3,8
.70,46  0,31 0,2  + 5
a)
b)

What are the equations for velocity and acceleration for this ball?
For what times between 0 and30
is the acceleration zero?

Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

21) A Honda Civic travels in a straight line along a road. Its distance from a stop sign is given as a function of time by the
equation  = 8  + (, where 8 = 1,5 and + = 0,05 in SI units. Calculate the average velocity of the car for the time
interval 2 ; 4"s
22) The next figure shows the velocity of a solar-powered car as a function of time. The driver accelerates from a stop sign,
travels for 20
at a constant speed of 609$/ and then brakes to come to a stop 40
after leaving the stop sign.
a)
b)

Compute the average acceleration during the following time intervals: 0 ; 10"
What is the instantaneous acceleration at  = 20 and at  = 35?

10 ; 30"

30 ; 40"

23) The human body can survive an acceleration trauma incident (sudden stop) if the magnitude of the acceleration is less than
250$/
 . If you are in an automobile accident with an initial speed of 1059$/ and you are stopped by an airbag that
inflates from the dashboard, over what distance must the airbag stop you for you to survive the crash?
24) If a pilot accelerates at more than 4, he begins to gray out but doesnt completely lose consciousness.
a)

b)

Assuming constant acceleration, what is the shortest time that a jet pilot starting from rest can take to reach Mach 4
(four times the speed of sound) without graying out?
How far would the plane travel during this period of acceleration? Use 331$/
for the speed of sound.

25) During a car accident, the vehicles air bags deploy and slow down the
passengers more gently than if they had hit the windshield. According to safety
standards, the bags produce a maximum acceleration of 60 that lasts for only
36$
(or less). How far (in meters) does a person travel in coming to a complete
stop in 36$
at a constant acceleration of 60?
26) The graph shows the velocity of a motorcycle plotted as a function of time
a)
b)

Find the instantaneous acceleration at  = 3

,  = 7
and  = 11

How far does the motorcycle go in the first 9

?

27) A lunar lander is descending toward the moons surface. Until the lander
reaches the surface, its height above the surface of the moon is given by
5 =  - + :  , where  = 800$ is the initial height of the lander above the
surface, - = 60$/
and : = 1,05$/
.
a)
b)

What is the initial velocity of the lander, at  = 0?

What is the velocity of the lander just before it reaches the lunar surface?

28) The acceleration of a bus is given by 1  = + where + = 1,2$/

(.
a)
b)
c)

If the buss velocity at time  = 1

is 0 = 5$/
, what is its velocity at time  = 2
?
If the buss position at time  = 1
is  = 6$, what is its position at time  = 2
?
Sketch 1 , 01  and  graphs for the motion

Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

29) The acceleration of a motorcycle is given by 1  =    where = 1,5$/

( and  = 0,12$/
,. The motorcycle is at
rest at the origin at time  = 0.
a)
b)

Find its position and velocity as functions of time

Calculate the maximum velocity it attains

30) High-speed motion pictures (3500 frames/second) of a jumping

210; flea yielded the data used to plot the graph given in the
next figure. This flea was 2$$ long and jumped at a nearly
vertical takeoff angle.
a)
b)
c)
d)

Is the acceleration of the flea ever zero? If so, when?

Find the maximum height the flea reached in the first
2,5$

Find the fleas acceleration at 0,5$

, 1,0$
and 1,5$

Find the fleas height at 0,5$

, 1,0$
and 1,5$

31) A particle is moving along a straight line with the acceleration  = <12 3 / =>/
 . Given that 0 = 0 and
= 15 > for
 = 0 , determine:
a)
b)

The velocity of the particle as a function of time. Ans: 6  2 (/

,
The position of the particle as a function of time. Ans: 2 (  ?/ + 15
?

32) The acceleration of a particle traveling along a straight line is  = 9/0 where 9 is a constant. If
= 0 , 0 = 03 when  = 0,
determine the velocity of the particle as a function of time. Ans: 29 + 0@ /

33) A particle travels along a straight line with a velocity 0 = 12 3  $/
. When  = 1
, the particle is located 10$ to the
left of the origin. Determine:
a)
b)
c)

the acceleration when  = 4

. Ans: 24$/

the displacement from  = 0 to  = 10
. Ans: 880$
the distance the particle travels during this time period. Ans: 912$

34) In the final stages of a moon landing, the lunar module descends under retrothrust
of its descent engine to within = 5$ of the lunar surface where it has a
downward velocity of 2$/
. If the descent engine is cut off abruptly at this point,
compute the impact velocity of the landing gear with the moon. Lunar gravity is 1/6
of earths gravity. Ans: 4,51$/

35) A sphere is fired downwards into a medium with an initial speed of 27$/
. If it
experiences a deceleration of  = 6 $/
 , determine the distance travelled
before it stops. Ans: 54$

36) A particle moving along a straight line is subjected to a deceleration  = 20 ( $/
. If it has a velocity 0 = 8$/
and a
position
= 10$ when  = 0, determine its velocity and position when  = 4
. Ans: 0,25$/
; 11,9$

37) A particle is moving along a straight line such that its acceleration is defined as  = 20$/
 . If 0 = 20$/
when
= 0
and  = 0, determine:
a)
b)
c)

The particles position as a function of time. Ans: 101 ' A* 

The particles velocity as a function of time. Ans: 20' A*
The particles acceleration as a function of time. Ans: 40' A*

38) A particle starts from rest and travels along a straight line with an acceleration  = 30 0,20 >/
 . Determine the time
when the velocity of the particle is 0 = 30 >/
. Ans: 1,12

39) When a particle is projected vertically upwards with an initial velocity 03 , it experiences an acceleration  =  + 90  
where  is the acceleration due to gravity, 9 is a constant and 0 is the velocity of the particle. Determine the maximum
height reached by the particle. Ans:

B

C7 D1 + 03 F
E

Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

40) The acceleration of a particle travelling along a straight line is  = 0,02 ' * $/
 . If 0 = 0 and
= 0 when  = 0, determine
the velocity and acceleration of the particle at
= 4$. Ans: 4,11 $/
; 4,13 $/

41) If the effects of atmospheric resistance are accounted for, a falling body has an acceleration defined by the equation
 = 9,81 1 0,0001 0  $/
 where the positive direction is downward. If the body is released from rest at a very high
altitude, determine:
a)
b)

The velocity when  = 5

. Ans: 45,5$/

The bodys terminal velocity (as  ). Ans: 100$/

42) The velocity of a particle travelling along a straight line is 0 = 03 9

where 9 is a constant. If
= 0 when  = 0,
determine:
a)
b)
c)

The position of the particle as a function of time. Ans:

IJ
B

1 ' AB* 

The velocity of the particle as a function of time. Ans: 03 ' AB*

The acceleration of the particle as a function of time. Ans: 903 ' AB*

43) As a body is projected to a high altitude above the earths surface, the variation of the acceleration of gravity with
respect to altitude 5 must be taken into account. Neglecting air resistance, this acceleration is determined from the
formula  = 3 K  /K + 5 " where 3 is the constant gravitational acceleration at sea level, K is the radius of the earth,
and the positive direction is measured upward. If 3 = 9,81$/
 and K = 63569$, determine the minimum initial velocity
(escape velocity) at which a projectile should be shot vertically from the earths surface so that it does not fall back to
the earth. Hint: this requires that 0 = 0 as 5 . Ans: 11167$/
11,29$/

44) When a particle falls through the air, its initial acceleration  =  diminishes until it is zero, and thereafter it falls at a
constant or terminal velocity 0M . If this variation of the acceleration can be expressed as  = /0M 0M 0  , determine
the time needed for the velocity to become 0 = 0M /2. Initially the
particle falls from rest. Ans: 0,549 0M /
45) A two-stage missile is fired vertically from rest with the
acceleration shown. In 15
the first stage A burns out and the
second stage B ignites. Plot the 0 and
 graphs which
describes the two-stage motion of the missile for the time
interval 0  20
.
46) (H-12-48) The 
 graph for a jeep travelling along a straight road is
given for the first 300$ of it motion. Construct the 0
 graph. At = 0
, 0 = 0.
47) (H-12-49) A particle travels along a curve defined by the equation

=  ( 3 ( + 2 in SI units. Draw the

, 0, and  graphs for
the particle for the time interval 0  3
.

48) Experimental data for the motion of a particle along a straight line yield
measured values of the velocity 0 for various position coordinates
. A
smooth curve is drawn through the points in the graph. Determine the
acceleration of the particle when
= 20>. Ans: 0,63 >/
 .
49) A particle moves along the
O.P'.Q7 with constant acceleration. The
displacement, measured from a convenient position, is 2$ at time  = 0, and
is zero when  = 10
. If the velocity of the particle is momentarily zero
when  = 6
, determine:
a)
b)

The velocity when  = 10

. Ans: 0,8$/

The acceleration when  = 10

. Ans: 0,2$/


Roberto Holub

Mechanics

4TEC

50) A self-propelled vehicle of mass $ whose engine delivers constant power R has an acceleration  = R/$0 where all
frictional resistance is neglected. Determine expressions for the distance travelled and the corresponding time required
by the vehicle to increase its speed from 0 to 0 .
$ (
$ 
0 0(  ;  =
0 0 
7
:
=
3R
2R 
51) The aerodynamic resistance to motion of a car is nearly proportional
to the square of its velocity. Additional frictional resistance is
constant, so that the acceleration of the car when coasting may be
written  = - - 0  , where - and - are constants which depend
on the mechanical configuration of the car. If the car has an initial
velocity 03 when the engine is disengaged, derive an expression for
the distance : required for the car to coast to a stop.
7
:

1
-
C7 T1 + 03 U
2-
-

52) Neglect the effects of atmospheric drag and compute the impact speed of a body released from rest at an altitude
= 804,79$.
a)
b)

Assume a constant gravitational acceleration 3 = 9,81$/

 . Ans: 3970 $/

Account for the variation of  with altitude (refer to problem 43). Ans: 3742 $/