1-D Kinematics - Lesson 6 - Describing Motion with Equations

Sample Problems and Solutions

Kinematic Equations
Kinematic Equations and Problem-Solving
Kinematic Equations and Free Fall
Sample Problems and Solutions
Kinematic Equations and Graphs
Earlier in Lesson 6, four kinematic equations were introduced and discussed.
A useful problem-solving strategy was presented for use with these
equations and two examples were given that illustrated the use of the
strategy. Then, the application of the kinematic equations and the problem-
solving strategy to free-fall motion was discussed and illustrated. In this part
of Lesson 6, several sample problems will be presented. These problems
allow any student of physics to test their understanding of the use of the four
kinematic equations to solve problems involving the one-dimensional motion
of objects. You are encouraged to read each problem and practice the use of
the strategy in the solution of the problem. Then click the button to check
the answer or use the link to view the solution.

Check Your Understanding

1. An airplane accelerates down a runway at 3.20 m/s2 for 32.8 s until is
finally lifts off the ground. Determine the distance traveled before takeoff.

2. A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a time of 5.21
seconds for a distance of 110 m. Determine the acceleration of the car.

3. Upton Chuck is riding the Giant Drop at Great America. If Upton free
falls for 2.60 seconds, what will be his final velocity and how far will he
fall?

4. A race car accelerates uniformly from 18.5 m/s to 46.1 m/s in 2.47
seconds. Determine the acceleration of the car and the distance traveled.

5. A feather is dropped on the moon from a height of 1.40 meters. The

acceleration of gravity on the moon is 1.67 m/s2. Determine the time for
the feather to fall to the surface of the moon.
6. Rocket-powered sleds are used to test the human response to
acceleration. If a rocket-powered sled is accelerated to a speed of 444 m/s
in 1.83 seconds, then what is the acceleration and what is the distance
that the sled travels?

7. A bike accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 7.10 m/s over a

distance of 35.4 m. Determine the acceleration of the bike.

8. An engineer is designing the runway for an airport. Of the planes that

will use the airport, the lowest acceleration rate is likely to be 3 m/s2. The
 takeoff speed for this plane will be 65 m/s. Assuming this minimum
acceleration, what is the minimum allowed length for the runway?

9. A car traveling at 22.4 m/s skids to a stop in 2.55 s. Determine the

skidding distance of the car (assume uniform acceleration).

10. A kangaroo is capable of jumping to a height of 2.62 m. Determine the

takeoff speed of the kangaroo.

11. If Michael Jordan has a vertical leap of 1.29 m, then what is his takeoff
speed and his hang time (total time to move upwards to the peak and
then return to the ground)?

12. A bullet leaves a rifle with a muzzle velocity of 521 m/s. While
accelerating through the barrel of the rifle, the bullet moves a distance of
0.840 m. Determine the acceleration of the bullet (assume a uniform
acceleration).

13. A baseball is popped straight up into the air and has a hang-time of
6.25 s. Determine the height to which the ball rises before it reaches its
peak. (Hint: the time to rise to the peak is one-half the total hang-time.)

14. The observation deck of tall skyscraper 370 m above the street.
Determine the time required for a penny to free fall from the deck to the
street below.

15. A bullet is moving at a speed of 367 m/s when it embeds into a lump of
moist clay. The bullet penetrates for a distance of 0.0621 m. Determine
the acceleration of the bullet while moving into the clay. (Assume a
uniform acceleration.)

16. A stone is dropped into a deep well and is heard to hit the water 3.41 s
after being dropped. Determine the depth of the well.

17. It was once recorded that a Jaguar left skid marks that were 290 m in
length. Assuming that the Jaguar skidded to a stop with a constant
acceleration of -3.90 m/s2, determine the speed of the Jaguar before it
began to skid.

18. A plane has a takeoff speed of 88.3 m/s and requires 1365 m to reach
that speed. Determine the acceleration of the plane and the time required
to reach this speed.

19. A dragster accelerates to a speed of 112 m/s over a distance of 398 m.

Determine the acceleration (assume uniform) of the dragster.

20. With what speed in miles/hr (1 m/s = 2.23 mi/hr) must an object be
thrown to reach a height of 91.5 m (equivalent to one football field)?
Assume negligible air resistance.
Solutions to Above Problems
1.
Given: Find:
a = +3.2 m/s2 t = 32.8 s vi = 0 m/s d = ??
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
d = (0 m/s)*(32.8 s)+ 0.5*(3.20 m/s2)*(32.8 s)2
d = 1720 m

2.
Given: Find:
d = 110 m t = 5.21 s vi = 0 m/s a = ??
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
110 m = (0 m/s)*(5.21 s)+ 0.5*(a)*(5.21 s)2
110 m = (13.57 s2)*a
a = (110 m)/(13.57 s2)
a = 8.10 m/ s2

3.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m t = 2.6 s vi = 0 m/s d = ??
vf = ??
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
d = (0 m/s)*(2.60 s)+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(2.60 s)2
d = -33.1 m (- indicates direction)
vf = vi + a*t
vf = 0 + (-9.8 m/s2)*(2.60 s)
vf = -25.5 m/s (- indicates direction)

4.
Given: Find:
vi = 18.5 m/s vf = 46.1 m/s t = 2.47 s d = ??
a = ??
a = (Delta v)/t
 a = (46.1 m/s - 18.5 m/s)/(2.47 s)
a = 11.2 m/s2
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
d = (18.5 m/s)*(2.47 s)+ 0.5*(11.2 m/s2)*(2.47 s)2
d = 45.7 m + 34.1 m
d = 79.8 m
(Note: the d can also be calculated using the equation vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d)

5.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s d = -1.40 m a = -1.67 m/s2 t = ??
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
-1.40 m = (0 m/s)*(t)+ 0.5*(-1.67 m/s2)*(t)2
-1.40 m = 0+ (-0.835 m/s2)*(t)2
(-1.40 m)/(-0.835 m/s2) = t2
1.68 s2 = t2
t = 1.29 s

6.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 444 m/s t = 1.83 s a = ??
d = ??
a = (Delta v)/t
a = (444 m/s - 0 m/s)/(1.83 s)
a = 243 m/s2
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
d = (0 m/s)*(1.83 s)+ 0.5*(243 m/s2)*(1.83 s)2
d = 0 m + 406 m
d = 406 m
(Note: the d can also be calculated using the equation vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d)

7.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 7.10 m/s d = 35.4 m a = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(7.10 m/s) = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(35.4 m)
2

50.4 m2/s2 = (0 m/s)2 + (70.8 m)*a

(50.4 m2/s2)/(70.8 m) = a
 a = 0.712 m/s2
Return to Problem 7

8.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 65 m/s a = 3 m/s2 d = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(65 m/s) = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(3 m/s2)*d
2

4225 m2/s2 = (0 m/s)2 + (6 m/s2)*d

(4225 m2/s2)/(6 m/s2) = d
d = 704 m

9.
Given: Find:
vi = 22.4 m/s vf = 0 m/s t = 2.55 s d = ??
d = (vi + vf)/2 *t
d = (22.4 m/s + 0 m/s)/2 *2.55 s
d = (11.2 m/s)*2.55 s
d = 28.6 m

10.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 2.62 m vi = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s)2 = vi2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(2.62 m)
0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 51.35 m2/s2
51.35 m2/s2 = vi2
vi = 7.17 m/s

11.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 1.29 m vi = ??
t = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s) = vi2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(1.29 m)
2

0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 25.28 m2/s2

25.28 m2/s2 = vi2
vi = 5.03 m/s
To find hang time, find the time to the peak and then double it.
vf = vi + a*t
0 m/s = 5.03 m/s + (-9.8 m/s2)*tup
 -5.03 m/s = (-9.8 m/s2)*tup
(-5.03 m/s)/(-9.8 m/s2) = tup
tup = 0.513 s
hang time = 1.03 s

12.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 521 m/s d = 0.840 m a = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(521 m/s)2 = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(0.840 m)
271441 m2/s2 = (0 m/s)2 + (1.68 m)*a
(271441 m2/s2)/(1.68 m) = a
a = 1.62*105 m /s2

13.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s t = 3.13 s d = ??
a. (NOTE: the time required to move to the peak of the trajectory is
one-half the total hang time - 3.125 s.)

First use: vf = vi + a*t

0 m/s = vi + (-9.8 m/s2)*(3.13 s)
0 m/s = vi - 30.7 m/s
vi = 30.7 m/s (30.674 m/s)
Now use: vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s)2 = (30.7 m/s)2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(d)
0 m2/s2 = (940 m2/s2) + (-19.6 m/s2)*d
-940 m2/s2 = (-19.6 m/s2)*d
(-940 m2/s2)/(-19.6 m/s2) = d
d = 48.0 m
Return to Problem 13

14.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s d = -370 m a = -9.8 m/s2 t = ??
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
-370 m = (0 m/s)*(t)+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(t)2
-370 m = 0+ (-4.9 m/s2)*(t)2
(-370 m)/(-4.9 m/s2) = t2
75.5 s2 = t2
t = 8.69 s
15.
Given: Find:
vi = 367 m/s vf = 0 m/s d = 0.0621 m a = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s)2 = (367 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(0.0621 m)
0 m2/s2 = (134689 m2/s2) + (0.1242 m)*a
-134689 m2/s2 = (0.1242 m)*a
(-134689 m2/s2)/(0.1242 m) = a
a = -1.08*106 m /s2
(The - sign indicates that the bullet slowed down.)

16.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 t = 3.41 s vi = 0 m/s d = ??
d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
d = (0 m/s)*(3.41 s)+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(3.41 s)2
d = 0 m+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(11.63 s2)
d = -57.0 m
(NOTE: the - sign indicates direction)

17.
Given: Find:
a = -3.90 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 290 m vi = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s)2 = vi2 + 2*(-3.90 m/s2)*(290 m)
0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 2262 m2/s2
2262 m2/s2 = vi2
vi = 47.6 m /s

18.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 88.3 m/s d = 1365 m a = ??
t = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(88.3 m/s) = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(1365 m)
2

7797 m2/s2 = (0 m2/s2) + (2730 m)*a

7797 m2/s2 = (2730 m)*a
(7797 m2/s2)/(2730 m) = a
a = 2.86 m/s2
vf = vi + a*t
 88.3 m/s = 0 m/s + (2.86 m/s2)*t
(88.3 m/s)/(2.86 m/s2) = t
t = 30. 8 s

19.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 112 m/s d = 398 m a = ??
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(112 m/s) = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(398 m)
2

12544 m2/s2 = 0 m2/s2 + (796 m)*a

12544 m2/s2 = (796 m)*a
(12544 m2/s2)/(796 m) = a
a = 15.8 m/s2

20.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 91.5 m vi = ??
t = ??
First, find speed in units of m/s:
vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s)2 = vi2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(91.5 m)
0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 1793 m2/s2
1793 m2/s2 = vi2
vi = 42.3 m/s
Now convert from m/s to mi/hr:
vi = 42.3 m/s * (2.23 mi/hr)/(1 m/s)
vi = 94.4 mi/hr