v 1i

a1

v 2

Position location of the object on the

x-axis or y-axis with respect to the origin For motion in a straight line, there are
only 2 directions to consider: towards
unit: m, km, cm, mm, ft, mi
+x and towards x (towards +y and
towards y). For simplicity, towards
Displacement change in position
+x direction is considered positive
x = x f x i
while towards x direction is
considered negative.
Velocity rate of change of position
unit: m/s, cm/s, kph, ft/s, mph
It must be noted that negative
d x
acceleration does not necessarily mean
v =
dt
deceleration. It simply means that the
acceleration is heading in the negative
Acceleration rate of change of
direction. An object will slow down
velocity
only when the acceleration's
unit: m/s2, cm/s2, ft/s2
direction is opposite that of the
d v
a =
motion.
dt

The kind of motion experienced by an

object depends upon the acceleration.
An object with variable acceleration is
Motion with non-uniform acceleration
said to be undergoing motion with nonoccurs when the acceleration is not
uniform acceleration.
constant and varies with respect to
another quantity. Typically,
An object with constant zero
acceleration is a function of time.
acceleration is said to be undergoing
uniform motion.
d v

a =a (t )=

Whereas an object with constant nonzero acceleration is said to be

undergoing uniformly accelerated
motion.

dt
d x
v =v (t)=
dt
x = x (t )

constant

(1)

(2)
(3)

Depending upon the equation and

values given by the problem or
situation, your analysis and solution
will start eq. 1, eq. 2, or eq. 3.

EXAMPLE 1
An object starting at the origin (x = 0)
undergoes motion described by the
following velocity function:
2
v (t )= At B sin Ct

where A = 3.0 m/s3

B = 5.0 m/s
C = 0.50 rad/s
a) What is the object's position at t =
5.0s? b) At what times will it have
minimum & maximum acceleration?

d x
v (t )= At B sin Ct=
dt
d x = At 2 dtB sin Ct dt
d x = A t 2 dtB sin Ct dt
1 3
1
x
=
A
(
t
)B
(cos
Ct
)(
)

3
C
A 3 B
= t + cos Ct
3
C
2

3
3 5
cos(0.5(5))
x (t=5)= (5) +
3
0.5
=125+10 cos(2.5)
=116.98856384 m
x (t=5)=116.989 m
d v d
a = = ( At 2B sin Ct )

dt dt
d
d
= A (t 2 )B (sin Ct )
dt
dt
d
=2AtB cos Ct ( (Ct ))
dt
a =2AtBC cos Ct

da
a max =0=2ABC (sin Ct )(C )

dt
2A+BC 2 sin Ct=0
2(3)
2A
sin Ct= 2 =
BC
5(0.5)2

sin Ct=4.8 NOT ALLOWED !

There is no time value at w /c
acceleration is maximum.
a min cos =max=1

=Ct =4 ,2 , 0,2 , 4 ,
Ct=0 t=0
t a=max =NO VALUE
t a=min=0.00
EXAMPLE 2
A car travels in a straight line with the
following position function:
2
3
x
(t)=bt
ct

where b = 2.4 m/s2 and c = 0.12 m/s3

a) Calculate the averate velocity for the
time interval ti = 5.0s to tf = 10.0s.
b) Determine the rate at which
acceleration changes with respect to
position.

2
3
x (t)=bt ct
d x
2
v = =2 bt3 ct
dt
2
v i (t=t i )=2(2.4)(5)3(0.12)(5)
=15 m/ s
v f (t=t f )=2(2.4)(10)3(0.12)(10)2
=14 m/ s
vi +v f 15+14
=
=14.5 m/s
v ave =
2
2

v ave =14.50 m/ s
d x
2
v = =2 bt3 ct
dt
dv
a = =2b6 ct
dt
d a
=06 c=6 c
dt

d a
dt
d a dt d a
6c
=
= =
d x d x dt d x 2bt3ct 2
dt
d a
6c
= 2
d x 3ct 2bt

An object with uniform motion has a

constant acceleration of zero.

d v
=constant=0
dt
d x
v =constant = =v i= v f = v ave
dt
x x f x i
v =
=
t t f t i
a=

Motion with uniform acceleration

occurs when the acceleration is
constant at a non-zero value.

dv
a = =constant0
dt
d x
v =
dt

(a)
(b)

The following strategies may be used

when analyzing the motion of objects
undergoing uniform acceleration:
Strategy 1
Use Eq. (a) first. If not enough, use
Eq. (b). This strategy is applicable for
most problems in kinematics.

EXAMPLE 3
A car travels in a straight line speeding
up from 15.0 kph to 60.0 kph in 30
minutes. Determine the car's
displacement.

v 0=15 kph=4.166666667 m/ s
v =60 kph=16.66666667 m/ s
t 0 =0
t=30 min=1,800 s
dv
a= a dt=d v
dt
t

a0 dt=v d v a (t0)= v v0
v v 0 12.5 m/ s
=
a=
t
1,800 s
=0.00694444 m/ s2
dx
v= v0+ a t= d x = v0 dt+a t dt
dt
0

d x =v 0 0 dt+a t t dt
0

1 2 2
x x 0 = x = v 0 (t0)+ a ( )(t 0 )
2
x =(4.166666667)(1,800)
+(0.006944444)(0.5)(1,800)2
=18,750 m
x =18,750.00 m=18.75 km
Strategy 2
When the initial time t0 = 0 and the
final time t = not given, Eq (a) and Eq.
(b) may be combined to get rid of t.

d v
d x
a =
v =
dt
dt
d v
a = dt = d v dt a = d v
v d x dt d x v d x
dt
a d x = v d v

EXAMPLE 4
A car travels 75.0 km speeding up from
15.0 kph to 60.0 kph. Determine the
car's acceleration.

v 0 =15 kph=4.166666667 m/s

v =60 kph=16.66666667 m/s
x 0=0
x =75 km=75,000 m
t 0 =0
t=not given
d v
a dt

=
a d x =v d v
v d x
dt
x

a
0 d x =v v d v
1 2 1 2
a

x
0=
v v0

2
2
1 2 1 2
ax cos 0= v v 0
2
2
0

v 2v 20 260.4166668 m/s
a=
=
2x
2(75,000 m)
=0.001736111 m/ s2
3
2
a =1.73610 m/s

Strategy 3
When the initial velocity v0 = 0 and the
final time v = not given, Eq (a) and Eq.
(b) may be combined to get rid of v.

dv
a =
dt

dx
v=
dt
d d x
)
a= (
dt dt

EXAMPLE 5
A moving car accelerates from rest for
5.0 minutes traveling a total distance of
600.0 m. Determine the acceleration of
the car.

v =not given
v 0 =0

x 0=0
x =600 m
t 0 =0
t=5 min=300 s
dv d dx
dx
a= = ( )
a dt=d ( )

dt dt dt
dt
t
d x
a 0 dt= d (
)

dt
d x
a (t0)=

a tdt =d x

dt
t

a 0 tdt =0 d x

1 2 2
2 x
a
(
)(t
0
)=
x
0

a
=

2
t2

2(600 m)
2
=0.013333333
m/
s
a =
(300 s)2

a =1.333102 m/ s2
In some cases, the system involves 2 or
more moving objects. In the case of 2
objects, the following situations are
commonly encountered:
a) 2 objects moving towards each other
b) 2 objects moving away from each
other
c) 2 objects racing against each other
Whatever the case, analyze the motion
of each object separately, with either
the displacement or the time (or both)
linking the motion of the objects
together.

EXAMPLE 6
An overspeeding car moving at a
constant speed of 90.0 kph passes a
parked police car, which then begins to
move after the car. What should be the
police car's acceleration such that it
catches up with the car in 5.0 minutes?

v 10=0
v 1=not given
v 2=90 kph=25 m/ s=constant
x10 =x10=0
x 1= x 2= x
t 10=t 20=0
t 1=t 2=t=5 min=300 s
dx
v 2=constant= d x =v 2 dt
dt
v 10

a 1

v 2=constant

0 d x =v 20 dt x 0=v 2 (t0)
x =(25 m/ s)(300s)=7,500 m
d v1 d d x
d x
=
a1 dt=d (
)
a 1=
dt
dt dt
dt
t
dx
a 10 dt= d( )
dt
dx
a 1 (t0)= a 1 tdt =d x
dt
t

a 10 tdt=0 d x
1 2 2
2 x
a 1 ( )(t 0 )= x 0 a1= 2
2
t
2(7,500 m)
2
=0.166666666
m/
s
a 1=
(300 s)2
2
a1=0.167 m/s

x 1= x 2

t 1 = t 2

Freefall motion is a special case of

uniformly-accelerated motion wherein
motion is along the vertical axis and the
only source of acceleration is gravity.
For locations on or near the surface of
the earth, the acceleration due to gravity
is given by

a =g ,towards y a y =g

g=9.8 m/s 2
Freefall motion may be divided into 3
cases:
a) dropped object
b) object thrown vertically downward
c) object thrown vertically upward

a =g

Dropped Object Case

The object is simply released, let go,
dropped, or falling from a particular
height.

a=g
v 0 =0
v =
y 0 =0
y =

EXAMPLE 7
80
2 2(40)
t
=
=
A flower pot falls from a window 40.0 m
9.8
a
above the sidewalk. How many minutes t=2.857142857 s
will it take for the flower pot to strike
=0.047619047 min
the sidewalk?

v 0 =0
v =not given
y 0 =0
y =40 m
t 0 =0
t=not given
a =9.8 m/ s2
d v
a dt=d v
a =
dt
t

a 0 dt=0 d v a (t0)=v 0
d y
a tdt=d y
v = a t=
dt
t

40

a 0 tdt =0 d y
1 2 2
a ( )(t 0 )=400
2

t=0.048 min

Object Thrown Vertically

Downward Case
While its motion appears similar to the
dropped object case, an object thrown
vertically downward has non-zero
initial velocity. It is thrown or fired
giving it a downward initial velocity.

a=g
v0 =
v =
y 0 =0
y =

EXAMPLE 8
Two students conduct an experiment on
the roof of a building. One drops an
egg. At the same time, the other student
throws a baseball vertically downward
giving it an initial speed of 5.0 m/s. If
the difference between the times at
which the two objects strike the ground
is 0.5 s, what is the height of the
building?

v 10=0
v 1=not given
v 20=5 m/ s
v 2=not given
y 10= y 20 =0
y1 = y 2=h
t 10=t 20=0
t 1 =not given
t 2 =not given
2
a 1= a2 =9.8 m/s
t 1 t 2=t 1 t 2=0.5 s
d v 1
a 1 dt=d v 1
a 1=
dt

t1

v1

a10 dt 1=0 d v 1 a1 (t 10)= v 10

d y 1
a1 t 1 dt 1=d y 1
a1 t 1=
dt 1
t1

a10 t 1 dt 1=0 d y 1
1
a1 ( )(t 210)=h0
2
2 h
2h
2h
t 1=
=
t 2=
0.5
g
g
a1
t
v
d v 2
a2=
a 20 dt 2 =5 d v 2
dt 2
d y 2
a2 (t 20)=v 2+5 v 2= a 2 t 25=
dt 2

t2

t2

d y 2 =a20 t 2 dt 2 50 dt 2
1
h0=a2 ( )(t 22 0)5(t 2 0)
2

2h 2 10
2 h=g t +10 t 2 =t 2+ t 2
g
g
2
2h
2h
10 2h
=(
0.5) + (
0.5)
g
g
g
g
10
5
t 21 =(t 10.5)2 + t 1
g
g
10
5
2
2
t 1 =t 1t 1+0.25+ t 1
g
g
10
5
t 1t 1= 0.25
g
g
2h
t 1=12.75 s=
g
g t 21
h=
=796.5562496 m
2h
2
2

Object Thrown Vertically Upward

Case
The object is given an non-zero initial
velocity directed vertically upwards or
towards +y.

a=g
v 0 =+
v =
y 0 =0
y =
v top =0

t up

t down

v 1

v 2=v 1
t up = t down

h=796.556 m
v 2

EXAMPLE 9
A toy gun set on the floor fires a pingpong ball vertically upwards with an
initial speed of 7.5 m/s. At what times
will the ball be 2.0 m above the floor?

v 0=7.5 m/ s
v =not given
y 0 =0
y =2m
t 0 =0
2
a =9.8 m/ s
t
v
d v
a =
a0 dt=7.5 d v
dt

(7.5) (7.5)24(4.9)(2)
t=
2(4.9)
t 1=1.186649445 s
t 2=0.343962799 s
t1
t2

st

nd

=0.344 s
=1.187 s
time

time

d y Projectile motion occurs when freefall

a (t0)=v 7.5 a t+7.5=v =
motion is given a horizontal
dt component. Since gravity remains the
t

a 0 tdt +7.50 dt=0 d y

1 2 2
9.8( )(t 0 )+7.5(t0)=20
2
4.9t 27.5 t+2=0

sole source of acceleration, the object

experiences uniformly-accelerated
motion along the y-axis and uniform
motion along the x-axis.

a x =0

2
a y =9.8 m/ s

EXAMPLE 10
Analyze the motion along the x-axis
separately from the motion along the y- A marble rolls off the edge of a level
axis, with time uniting the two motions. table top with a speed of 1.25 m/s. If
the height of the table is 1.00 m
An object undergoing projectile motion determine the velocity magnitude at
which the marble strikes the floor.
is referred to as a projectile.

v x =1.25 m/ s
The path taken by the projectile is
v y0 =0

referred to as the object's trajectory.

x 0=0
Lastly, the maximum horizontal distance y 0 =0
traveled by the projectile is called its
t 0 =0
range.
a x =0

v y =not given
x =not given
y =1 m
t=not given
2
a
=9.8
m/s
y

d v y
ay=

a y dt=d
vy

dt

EXAMPLE 11
A man on a balcony throws an apple to
his friend on the balcony of an adjacent
t
v
a
y 0 dt =0 d v y a y (t0)= v y 0 building. He throws it with an angle of
0
50
above the horizontal. If the
d y
a y t=
v y=

a y tdt =d y

buildings are 10.0 m apart and the

dt
man's balcony is 5.0 m above his
t
y
friend's balcony, what should be the
a
y 0 tdt =0 d y
initial speed of the apple?
y

1 2 2
a y ( )(t 0 )= y 0

2
2(1)
2 y
t=
=
=0.204081632 s
a
9.8
y
y t=(9.8)(0.204081632)
v y =a
v y =1.999999994 m/ s
v= v 2x +v 2y =2.358495278 m/s

v=2.358 m/s

v x =v 0 cos 50
v y0 =v 0 sin 50
x 0=0
y 0 =0
t 0 =0
a x =0
dx
a x =0 v x =
dt
t

10

v y =not given
x =10 m
y =5 m
t=not given
a y =9.8 m/ s2
v x dt=d x

v x 0 dt=0 d x v x (t0)=100

10
10
t= =
v x v 0 cos 50
d v y
a y=

a y dt=d v y

dt
t

v 0 =8.373 m/s

vy

a y 0 dt=v d v y

y0

a
y (t0)=v y v y0
d y
a y t=
v y = v y0 +
dt
d y =v y0 dt+ a
y tdt
5

490
(cos2 50)(10 tan 50+5)
v 0 =8.372631737 m/ s
v 0=

d y =v y0 0 dt+ a
y 0 tdt
1 2 2
5=v y0 (t0)+
a y ( )(t 0 )
2
10
100
5=v 0 sin 50(
)4.9( 2 2 )
v 0 cos 50
v 0 cos 50
490
=10 tan 50+5
2
2
v 0 cos 50