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Lecture 2
Dale Gary
NJIT Physics Department
Motion
Position and displacement
Average velocity and average speed
Instantaneous velocity and speed
Acceleration
Constant acceleration: A special case
Free fall acceleration
Motion
LAX
Newark
x = + 2.5 m
x=-3m
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Quantities in Motion
Displacement
Velocity
Acceleration
Displacement
It is a vector quantity.
It has both magnitude and direction: + or - sign
It has units of [length]: meters. x (t ) = + 2.5 m
1
x2 (t2) = - 2.0 m
x = -2.0 m - 2.5 m = -4.5 m
x1 (t1) = - 3.0 m
x2 (t2) = + 1.0 m
x = +1.0 m + 3.0 m = +4.0 m
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Displacement in space
From A to B: x = xB xA = 52 m 30 m = 22 m
From A to C: x = xc xA = 38 m 30 m = 8 m
Velocity
Average speed
Instantaneous
velocity
savg
total distance
t
x dx
t 0 t
dt
v lim
displacement
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Average Velocity
Average velocity
x x f - xi
t
t
is the slope of the line segment
between end points on a graph.
Dimensions: length/time (L/T)
[m/s].
SI unit: m/s.
It is a vector (i.e. is signed), and
displacement direction sets its
sign.
vavg
Average Speed
Average speed
savg
total distance
t
Instantaneous Velocity
Instantaneous means at some given instant. The
instantaneous velocity indicates what is happening at
every point of time.
Limiting process:
Uniform Velocity
x(t)
v(t)
vx
xf
xi
0
t
ti
tf
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Average Acceleration
Changing velocity (non-uniform) means an
acceleration is present.
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
Acceleration is a vector quantity.
Acceleration has both magnitude and direction.
Acceleration has a dimensions of length/time2: [m/s2].
Definition:
Average acceleration
Instantaneous acceleration
aavg
v v f - vi
t t f - ti
v dv d dx d 2 v
a lim
2
dt dt dt dt
t 0 t
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Average Acceleration
Note: we are plotting
Average acceleration
aavg
v v f - vi
t t f - ti
v f (t ) vi + aavg t
When the sign of the velocity and the acceleration are the same (either
positive or negative), then the speed is increasing
When the sign of the velocity and the acceleration are in the opposite
directions, the speed is decreasing
dt
dt dt
dt 2
Kinematic Variables: x, v, a
t 0 t
dt
v lim
d
dt
v dv
t 0 t
dt
a lim
d
dt
Position
Velocity
Acceleration
Graphical relationship between x, v, and a
Acceleration is a constant
Kinematic Equations (which
we will derive in a moment)
v v0 + at
1
x v t (v0 + v)t
2
x v0t + 12 at 2
v v0 + 2ax
2
a
t t - t0
t -0
t
v v0 + at
t
t
Since velocity changes at a constant rate, we have
1
x vavgt (v0 + v)t
2
Gives displacement as a function of velocity and time
Use when you dont know and arent asked for the
acceleration
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
v v0 + at
1
x vavgt (v0 + v)t
2
1 2
1
1
We have x (v0 + v)t (v0 + v0 + at )t x x - x0 v0t + at
2
2
2
Gives displacement as a function of all three quantities:
time, initial velocity and acceleration
Use when you dont know and arent asked to find the final
velocity
2a
2a
v 2 v0 + 2ax v0 + 2a( x - x0 )
2
Problem-Solving Hints
Convert if necessary
v v0 + at
x v0t + 12 at 2
v 2 v0 + 2ax
2
Example
x v0t + 12 at 2
v 2 v0 + 2ax
2
x v0t + 12 at 2
v 2 v0 + 2ax
2
Summary
This is the simplest type of motion
It lays the groundwork for more complex motion
Kinematic variables in one dimension
Position
x(t)
m
Velocity
v(t)
m/s
Acceleration
a(t)
m/s2
All depend on time
All are vectors: magnitude and direction vector:
L
L/T
L/T2
missing quantities
x x0
v v0 + at
x - x0 v0t + 12 at 2
v v0 + 2a( x - x0 )
x - x0 12 (v + v0 )t
x - x0 vt - 12 at 2
a
v0
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013