1-D Kinematics - Lesson 1 - Describing Motion with Words

Scalars and Vectors

Introduction

Scalars and Vectors

Distance and Displacement

Speed and Velocity

Acceleration

Physics is a mathematical science. The underlying concepts and principles have a mathematical basis.
Throughout the course of our study of physics, we will encounter a variety of concepts that have a
mathematical basis associated with them. While our emphasis will often be upon the conceptual nature
of physics, we will give considerable and persistent attention to its mathematical aspect.

The motion of objects can be described by words. Even a person without a background in physics has a
collection of words that can be used to describe moving objects. Words and phrases such as going fast,
stopped, slowing down, speeding up, and turning provide a sufficient vocabulary for describing the
motion of objects. In physics, we use these words and many more. We will be expanding upon this
vocabulary list with words such as distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. As we will
soon see, these words are associated with mathematical quantities that have strict definitions. The
mathematical quantities that are used to describe the motion of objects can be divided into two
categories. The quantity is either a vector or a scalar. These two categories can be distinguished from
one another by their distinct definitions:

Scalars are quantities that are fully described by a magnitude (or numerical value) alone.

Vectors are quantities that are fully described by both a magnitude and a direction.

The remainder of this lesson will focus on several examples of vector and scalar quantities (distance,
displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration). As you proceed through the lesson, give careful
attention to the vector and scalar nature of each quantity. As we proceed through other units at The
Physics Classroom Tutorial and become introduced to new mathematical quantities, the discussion will
often begin by identifying the new quantity as being either a vector or a scalar.
Check Your Understanding

1. To test your understanding of this distinction, consider the following quantities listed below.
Categorize each quantity as being either a vector or a scalar. Click the button to see the answer.

1-D Kinematics - Lesson 1 - Describing Motion with Words

Distance and Displacement

Introduction

Scalars and Vectors

Distance and Displacement

Speed and Velocity

Acceleration

Distance and displacement are two quantities that may seem to mean the same thing yet have distinctly
different definitions and meanings.

Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to "how much ground an object has covered" during its motion.

Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to "how far out of place an object is"; it is the object's
overall change in position.

To test your understanding of this distinction, consider the motion depicted in the diagram below. A
physics teacher walks 4 meters East, 2 meters South, 4 meters West, and finally 2 meters North.
Even though the physics teacher has walked a total distance of 12 meters, her displacement is 0 meters.
During the course of her motion, she has "covered 12 meters of ground" (distance = 12 m). Yet when she
is finished walking, she is not "out of place" - i.e., there is no displacement for her motion (displacement
= 0 m). Displacement, being a vector quantity, must give attention to direction. The 4 meters east cancels
the 4 meters west; and the 2 meters south cancels the 2 meters north. Vector quantities such as
displacement are direction aware. Scalar quantities such as distance are ignorant of direction. In
determining the overall distance traveled by the physics teachers, the various directions of motion can
be ignored.

Now consider another example. The diagram below shows the position of a cross-country skier at
various times. At each of the indicated times, the skier turns around and reverses the direction of travel.
In other words, the skier moves from A to B to C to D.

Use the diagram to determine the resulting displacement and the distance traveled by the skier during
these three minutes. Then click the button to see the answer.

See Answer

As a final example, consider a football coach pacing back and forth along the sidelines. The diagram
below shows several of coach's positions at various times. At each marked position, the coach makes a
"U-turn" and moves in the opposite direction. In other words, the coach moves from position A to B to C
to D.
What is the coach's resulting displacement and distance of travel? Click the button to see the answer.

See Answer

To understand the distinction between distance and displacement, you must know the definitions. You
must also know that a vector quantity such as displacement is direction-aware and a scalar quantity such
as distance is ignorant of direction. When an object changes its direction of motion, displacement takes
this direction change into account; heading the opposite direction effectively begins to cancel whatever
displacement there once was.

Check Your Understanding

1. What is the displacement of the cross-country team if they begin at the school, run 10 miles and finish
back at the school?

The displacement of the runners is 0 miles. While they have covered a distance of 10 miles, they are not
"out of place" or displaced. They finish where they started. Round-trip motions always have a
displacement of 0.

2. What is the distance and the displacement of the race car drivers in the Indy 500?

The displacement of the cars is somewhere near 0 miles since they virtually finish where they started.
Yet the successful cars have covered a distance of 500 miles.

Displacement Formula

Displacement Formula

Displacement is the change in an object's position from the origin. Displacement is a vector quantity, and
thus has both magnitude and direction.
Displacement = (final position) - (initial position) = change in position

D = Xf -Xi

D = displacement

Xf = final position

Xi = initial position

ΔX = short form for change in position

Displacement Formula Questions:

1) Jane leaves Seattle to visit Mary in Alaska. She travels 350 miles due North but then back-tracks South
125 miles to pick up a friend. What is Jane's total displacement?

Answer: Jane's initial position in Seattle is Xi= 0. Her final position Xf is the distance traveled N minus the
distance South. We can now calculate displacement, D.

D = ΔX = (Xf - Xi)

D = (350 mi N - 125 mi S) - 0

D = 225 mi N

2) You throw the ball 25 feet North for your dog. Your dog catches the ball and takes it past you to your
brother, who is standing 5 feet to the South of where you are. What is the displacement of the ball?

Answer: Your initial position with the ball is Xi = 0. Because displacement is a vector quantity, 'direction'
is considered. Xf = (30 feet S - 25 feet N), so Xf = -5 feet S.

D = ΔX = (Xf - Xi)

D = (30 ft S - 25 ft S) - 0

D = 5 ft S of your initial position

5K: How Far Did I Travel?

Last Thanksgiving, I decided to run my first 5K. I won't embarrass myself by telling you my exact time, but
I was able to successfully finish the race. If you asked the other racers how far I traveled, they would all
tell you 5 kilometers. If you asked a group of physicists how far I traveled, they might all tell you 0
kilometers - that I didn't change position at all. It might surprise you to learn that both answers are
correct. But how can that be? It all depends on the subtle yet very important difference between
distance and displacement.

Distance Versus Displacement

Let's start by defining these two terms, starting with the easier of the two.

Distance is how much ground is covered by an object, regardless of its starting or ending position. There
is no directional component to a distance measurement, making it a scalar quantity. So, during my 5K, I
ran 5 kilometers total. It doesn't matter where the starting line or finish line were or in which direction I
was running. It only matters that, if you trace and measure my path, I covered a distance of 5 km of
ground. So, when we asked the other runners how far I had traveled, they all answered correctly with a
distance measurement of 5 kilometers.

Let's take a minute to look at our other term: displacement, which is an object's change in position
considering its starting position and final position. A displacement measurement does not take into
account what route the object took to change position, only where it started and where it ended. It is
easiest to picture displacement by locating where the object started and drawing a straight arrow from
this point to the point where the object stopped moving. Remember, in physics this arrow is called a
vector. Its length corresponds to the magnitude, or size, of the movement, and the arrow points in the
direction of travel. This makes displacement a vector quantity because it incorporates both movement,
magnitude and direction.

In the shorthand of physics, displacement is written as Δs. 'Delta' is a Greek letter shaped like a triangle
and it's used to represent 'change in.' The 's' stands for spatial location. So Δs stands for a change in
spatial location. You should get comfortable using this shorthand just in case you see questions asking for
you to solve for Δs that don't actually ask for displacement by name.
Did you know that an object's speed and velocity may not be the same? This lesson describes the
concepts of speed and velocity relating to objects in motion. We'll look at a specific example to help
learn how to calculate both speed and velocity.

Speed and Velocity: Concepts

Did you know that speed and velocity are different? Most people consider speed and velocity to be the
same and may even use these terms interchangeably. While speed and velocity are similar, they are
definitely not the same. So, how are they different? Speed is a matter of how fast an object is moving
regardless of the direction it's going, whereas velocity is a matter of how fast an object gets somewhere
with respect to direction. Think of a person repeatedly taking two steps forward and then two steps
back. They are moving, but they're not getting anywhere. In other words, they have speed, but no
velocity. In short, speed is a measure of how fast an object moves, while velocity is a measure of how
fast an object gets somewhere.

Definitions of Velocity and Speed

Before we discuss the formulas for calculating speed and velocity, we need to consider more detailed
definitions of each term. Speed is defined as the rate of change in distance with respect to time. Velocity
is defined as the rate of change in displacement with respect to time. Notice the words distance and
displacement are the only difference between the two definitions.

So, what's the difference between distance and displacement? Distance refers to the total amount of
ground covered by an object in motion, whereas displacement refers to the net change in position of an
object in motion. Distance is what we call a scalar quantity because distance is fully described by
magnitude alone with no reference to direction. Since speed is a function of distance, speed is a scalar
quantity as well. Displacement is a vector quantity because displacement is fully described with both
magnitude and direction. Since velocity is a function of displacement, velocity is a vector quantity. If we
combine the definitions of speed and velocity, one could say that velocity is speed with direction and
that would be accurate.
Formula for Speed

Now that we understand the concepts of speed and velocity, we can examine the formulas for
calculating these measures. Let's take a look at speed first. As discussed, speed is the rate of change in
distance in a period of time. In other words, speed is a function of both distance and time. As such, the
formula for calculating speed includes both distance and time, where speed is directly proportional to
the change in distance and inversely proportional to the change in time.

Let's take a look at the formula for speed: Speed = distance ÷ time

Let's use an example to practice calculating speed. Consider a man walking in a zigzag pattern. If the man
covers a total of 20 meters in the zigzag, then the change in distance is equal to 20 meters. Now, let's say
he takes 60 seconds to cover that 20-meter zigzag pattern. Therefore, the change in time is 60 seconds.
We can put these values together in our formula and calculate for speed.

Let's first recall the formula for speed: Speed = distance ÷ time

Discussion

speed

What's the difference between two identical objects traveling at different speeds? Nearly everyone
knows that the one moving faster (the one with the greater speed) will go farther than the one moving
slower in the same amount of time. Either that or they'll tell you that the one moving faster will get
where it's going sooner than the slower one. Whatever speed is, it involves both distance and time.
"Faster" means either "farther" (greater distance) or "sooner" (less time).
Doubling one's speed would mean doubling one's distance traveled in a given amount of time. Doubling
one's speed would also mean halving the time required to travel a given distance. If you know a little
about mathematics, these statements are meaningful and useful. (The symbol v is used for speed
because of the association between speed and velocity, which will be discussed shortly.)

Speed is directly proportional to distance when time is constant: v ∝ s (t constant)

Speed is inversely proportional to time when distance is constant: v ∝

(s constant)

Combining these two rules together gives the definition of speed in symbolic form.

v= s

☞ This is not the final definition.

Don't like symbols? Well then, here's another way to define speed. Speed is the rate of change of
distance with time.

In order to calculate the speed of an object we must know how far it's gone and how long it took to get
there. "Farther" and "sooner" correspond to "faster". Let's say you drove a car from New York to Boston.
The distance by road is roughly 300 km (200 miles). If the trip takes four hours, what was your speed?
Applying the formula above gives…

v= s ≈ 300 km = 75 km/h

t 4 hour

This is the answer the equation gives us, but how right is it? Was 75 kph the speed of the car? Yes, of
course it was… Well, maybe, I guess… No, it couldn't have been the speed. Unless you live in a world
where cars have some kind of exceptional cruise control and traffic flows in some ideal manner, your
speed during this hypothetical journey must certainly have varied. Thus, the number calculated above is
not the speed of the car, it's the average speed for the entire journey. In order to emphasize this point,
the equation is sometimes modified as follows…

v= Δs

Δt

The bar over the v indicates an average or a mean and the Δ (delta) symbol indicates a change. Read it as
"vee bar is delta vee over delta tee". This is the quantity we calculated for our hypothetical trip.

In contrast, a car's speedometer shows its instantaneous speed, that is, the speed determined over a
very small interval of time — an instant. Ideally this interval should be as close to zero as possible, but in
reality we are limited by the sensitivity of our measuring devices. Mentally, however, it is possible
imagine calculating average speed over ever smaller time intervals until we have effectively calculated
instantaneous speed. This idea is written symbolically as…

v=

lim

Δt→0

Δs = ds

Δt dt

…or, in the language of calculus speed is the first derivative of distance with respect to time.

If you haven't dealt with calculus, don't sweat this definition too much. There are other, simpler ways to
find the instantaneous speed of a moving object. On a distance-time graph, speed corresponds to slope
and thus the instantaneous speed of an object with non-constant speed can be found from the slope of a
line tangent to its curve. We'll deal with that later in this book.

velocity

In order to calculate the speed of an object we need to know how far it's gone and how long it took to
get there. A wise person would then ask…
What do you mean by how far? Do you want the distance or the displacement?

A wise person, once upon a time

Your choice of answer to this question determines what you calculate — speed or velocity.

Average speed is the rate of change of distance with time.

Average velocity is the rate of change of displacement with time.

And for the calculus people out there…

Instantaneous speed is the first derivative of distance with respect to time.

Instantaneous velocity is the first derivative of displacement with respect to time.

Speed and velocity are related in much the same way that distance and displacement are related. Speed
is a scalar and velocity is a vector. Speed gets the symbol v (italic) and velocity gets the symbol v
(boldface). Average values get a bar over the symbol.

average

speed

v= Δs

Δt

instantaneous

speed

v=

lim

Δt→0
Δs = ds

Δt dt

average

velocity

v= Δs

Δt

instantaneous

velocity

v=

lim

Δt→0

Δs = ds

Δt dt

Displacement is measured along the shortest path between two points and its magnitude is always less
than or equal to the distance. The magnitude of displacement approaches distance as distance
approaches zero. That is, distance and displacement are effectively the same (have the same magnitude)
when the interval examined is "small". Since speed is based on distance and velocity is based on
displacement, these two quantities are effectively the same (have the same magnitude) when the time
interval is "small" or, in the language of calculus, the magnitude of an object's average velocity
approaches its average speed as the time interval approaches zero.

Δt → 0 ⇒ v → |v|

The instantaneous speed of an object is then the magnitude of its instantaneous velocity.

v = |v|

Speed tells you how fast. Velocity tells you how fast and in what direction.
units

Speed and velocity are both measured using the same units. The SI unit of distance and displacement is
the meter. The SI unit of time is the second. The SI unit of speed and velocity is the ratio of two — the
meter per second.

⎣ m = m ⎤

s s

This unit is only rarely used outside scientific and academic circles. Most people on this planet measure
speeds in kilometer per hour (km/h or kph). The United States is an exception in that we use the older
mile per hour (mi/h or mph). Let's determine the conversion factors so that we can relate speeds
measured in m/s with the more familiar units.

1 kph = 1 km 1000 m 1 hour

1 hour 1 km 3600 s

1 kph = 0.2777… m/s ≈ ¼ m/s

1 mph = 1 mile 1609 m 1 hour

1 hour 1 mile 3600 s

1 mph = 0.4469… m/s ≈ ½ m/s

The decimal values shown above are accurate to four significant digits, but the fractional values should
only be considered rules of thumb (1 kph is really more like

m/s than
1

m/s and 1 mph is more like

m/s than

m/s).

The ratio of any unit of distance to any unit of time is a unit of speed.

The speeds of ships, planes, and rockets are often stated in knots. One knot is one nautical mile per hour
— a nautical mile being 1852 m or 6076 feet. NASA still reports the speed of its rockets in knots and their
downrange distance in nautical miles. One knot is approximately 0.5144 m/s.

The slowest speeds are measured over the longest time periods. The continental plates creep across the
surface of the Earth at the geologically slow rate of 1–10 cm/year or 1–10 m/century — about the same
speed that fingernails and hair grow.

Audio cassette tape travels at 1⅞ inches per second (ips). When magnetic tape was first invented, it was
spooled on to open reels like movie film. These early reel-to-reel tape recorders ran the tape through at
15 ips. Later models could also record at half this speed (7½ ips) and then half of that (3¾ ips) and then
some at half of that (1⅞ ips). When the audio cassette standard was being formulated, it was decided
that the last of these values would be sufficient for the new medium. One inch per second is exactly
0.0254 m/s by definition.

Sometimes, the speed of an object is described relative to the speed of something else; preferably some
physical phenomena.

Aerodynamics is the study of moving air and how objects interact with it. In this field, the speed of an
object is often measured relative to the speed of sound. This ratio is known as the Mach number. The
speed of sound is roughly 295 m/s (660 mph) at the altitude at which commercial jet aircraft normally fly.
The now decommissioned British Airways and Air France supersonic Concorde cruised at 600 m/s (1340
mph). Simple division shows that this speed is roughly twice the speed of sound or Mach 2.0, which is
exceptionally fast. A Boeing 777, in comparison, cruises at 248 m/s (555 mph) or Mach 0.8, which is still
pretty fast.

The speed of light in a vacuum is defined in the SI system to be 299,792,458 m/s (about a billion km/h).
This is usually stated with a more reasonable precision as 3.00 × 108 m/s. The speed of light in a vacuum
is assigned the symbol c (italic) when used in an equation and c (roman) when used as a unit. The speed
of light in a vacuum is a universal limit, so real objects always move slower than c. It is used frequently in
particle physics and the astronomy of distant objects. The most distant observed objects are quasars;
short for "quasi-stellar radio objects". They are visually similar to stars (the prefix quasi means
resembling) but emit far more energy than any star possibly could. They lie at the edges of the
observable universe and are rushing away from us at incredible speeds. The most distant quasars are
moving away from us at nearly 0.9 c. By the way, the symbol c was chosen not because the speed of light
is a universal constant (which it is) but because it is the first letter of the Latin word for swiftness —
celeritas.

Selected speeds (slowest to fastest)

m/s km/h device, event, phenomena, process

10−9~10−8 continental plates, hair growth, fingernail growth

10−4 human sperm cells

10−3 snails

0.013 0.045 ketchup pouring from a bottle

10−1 sloths, tortoises, turtles

0.5–1.3 1.9–4.6 cockroaches

1 3.6 nerve impulses, unmyelinated cells

1 3.6 ocean currents

1.14 4.10 manatees

1.3 4.8 human, typical walking pace

2.391 8.608 fastest human: swimming (César Cielo)

8 30 maximum comfortable elevator speed

10 40 dolphins, porpoises, whales

10 40 falling raindrops
10.422 37.520 fastest human: running (Usain Bolt)

12 43 stadium wave

14.693 52.894 fastest human: ice skating (Jeremy Wotherspoon)

12 44 champagne cork

20 70 rabbits, hares, horses, greyhounds, tuna, sharks

30 100 typical freeway speed limit

33 118 cheetahs

40 140 falling hailstones

33–83 120–300 hurricane, maximum sustained wind speed

30–90 105–330 tornado, maximum sustained wind speed

46.98 169.1 fastest human: baseball pitch (Aroldis Chapman)

55 200 typical terminal velocity of a skydiver

70.8217 254.958 fastest human: skiing (Ivan Origone)

73.06 263 fastest human: tennis serve (Sam Groth)

80 290 peregrine falcon in a dive

82 295 very fast golf ball

82.211 296.00 fastest human: cycling (Denise Korenek Mueller)

100 360 nerve impulses, myelinated cells

113.2 407.5 maximum surface wind gust (Barrow Island, Australia)

124.22 447.19 fastest street-legal car (Koenigsegg Agera RS)

142.89 511.11 fastest ship (Spirit of Australia)

159.7 574.8 fastest train (Train à Grande Vitesse)

168.249 605.697 fastest motorcycle (Top Oil/Ack Attack)

180–1200 650–4,400 bullets

200 700 tsunami

250 900 commercial jet airplane

331 1,190 speed of sound in air, STP

340 1,225 speed of sound in air, sea level

341.4031 1,229.051 fastest experimental car (Thrust SSC)

343 1,235 speed of sound in air, room temperature

377.1 1,357.6 fastest human: skydiving (Felix Baumgartner)

980.433 3,529.56 fastest airplane (SR-71 Blackbird)

1,500 5,400 speed of sound in water

2,000 6,000 seismic waves

6,900 25,000 detonation velocity of TNT

8,000 29,000 space shuttle in orbit

11,094 39,938 fastest manned spacecraft (Apollo 10)

11,180 40,250 escape velocity on the surface of the Earth

14,000 50,500 New Horizons space probe

15,000 55,000 Voyager 2 space probe

17,000 61,000 Voyager 1 space probe

29,790 107,200 earth in orbit

190,000 690,000 fastest unmanned spacecraft (Parker Solar Probe)

220,000 790,000 sun moving through the milky way

400,000 1,440,000 solar wind near earth

600,000 2,200,000 milky way through the local super group

60,000,000 216,000,000 Project Starshot, proposed interstellar space probe

124,000,000 446,000,000 speed of light in diamond

225,000,000 810,000,000 speed of light in water

299,792,369 1,079,252,530 protons and antiprotons in the Tevatron

299,792,455 1,079,252,840 protons in the Large Hadron Collider

299,792,458 1,079,252,850 speed of light in a vacuum

Time & Speed

Distance/Speed Relation

In distance-speed relations, we will learn about the Distance formula. We will also see velocity formula.
The problems that are from this section base themselves on the concepts and definitions of terms that
measure distance, speed and time. Here we will see many examples from this section, we will introduce
the important concepts like the Distance formula, the velocity formula etc. We will also solve questions
based on the Distance formula and the other relevant formulae. Let us start!

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Distance Formula – Distance/Speed Relation

First, we will collect all the formulae that we shall use to solve the examples ahead. Let us define the
terms that will appear in the formulae. Let us say that an object starts moving from point A. The motion
means that it changes its position with respect to some fixed point in its surroundings.

Distance

The distance is the actual length of the path that the object travels.

Displacement

The displacement is the shortest distance between the initial position and the final position of the
journey. For example, if an object goes in a circle and returns to its initial position, then its displacement
is zero while its distance is not. In general, we say that distance is either greater than or equal to the
displacement of an object. The displacement can never be smaller than the distance.

Velocity Formula

The velocity is the time rate of change of displacement. If ‘S’ is the displacement of an object in some
time ‘T’, then the velocity is equal to, v = S/T. The units of velocity are m/s or km/hr.

Speed:
The speed is the time rate of change of the distance. If ‘D’ is the distance of an object in some time ‘T’,
the speed is equal to, s = D/T. It has the same units as velocity. let us solve some examples, we will
introduce the formulae as we go along.

Examples

velocity formula

Example 1: The speed of a bus is 54 km/h if we don’t let it stop at any point. If the bus stops at the bus-
stops, the speed of the bus is 45 km/h. What is the time that the bus stops for per hour?

A) 7 min B) 10 min C) 21 min D) 22 min

Answer: The relation between distance-speed and time is, speed = Distance/Time. Therefore, we have

Distance = Speed × Time. As the speed of the bus is 54 km/h, it will cover 54 km in one hour. Similarly,
when we let the bus stop, it will cover 45 km/h. Therefore, due to stoppages, it covers 9 km lesser.

Time taken to cover 9 km = [(Distance/Speed)] = [(9/54)] h = (9/54)×60 min = 10 min. Therefore the
correct option is B) 10 min.

Example 2: Khan can cover a certain distance in 1hr 24min. He covers 2/3 of the distance at 4 km/h and
the rest at 5 km/h. What is the total distance that Khan covers?

A) 3 km B) 4 km C) 5 km D) 6 km

Answer: Let the total distance be = D. Also the total time = 1hr and 24min = 1 (24/60) h or 84/60 h. Since
we have that Khan covers 2/3 of the distance at 4 k/.h, we can write, for this part of the journey, speed =
4km/h and distance = [2/3]D.

For the rest of the journey, we have speed = 5 km/h and the distance Khan covers = D – [2/3]D = (1/3)D
Hence, from the formula for speed, we have: 84/60 hr = [{(2/3) D}/4] + [(1/3)D/5].

We will have to simplify this to find the value of D from it. We have:

(21/15) h = (14/3)D×3

or D = 6 km. Therefore the total distance that Khan covers = 6 km and option D) 6km is the correct
choice.

Some More Examples

Example 3: A certain motor car starts at the speed of 70 km/hr. It accelerates, increasing its speed every
two hours by an amount of 10 km/h. What is the time it will take to cover a distance of 345 km?

A) 2 (1/4) hrs B) 4 hrs 5 min C) 4 (1/2) hrs D) Can not be determined

Answer: The distance that the car covers in the first 2 hours = (70 x 2) km = 140 km

Also, the distance that the car covers in the next 2 hours = (80 x 2) km = 160 km

Thus, remaining distance = 345 – (140 + 160) = 45 km.

Therefore the speed in the fifth hour = 90 km/hr. Also the time the car takes to cover 45 km = (45/90) hr
= (1/2) hr

Therefore the total time taken = 2 + 2 + (1/2) = 4 (1/2) hrs. Hence the correct option is C) 4 (1/2) hours.

Example 4: A person ‘A’ can complete a journey in 19 hours. If he travels the first half of this journey at
the rate of 21 km/hr and second half of the journey at the rate of 24 km/hr, then find the total length of
the journey in km.

A) 214 km B) 224 km C) 234 km D) 244 km

Answer: Let the total distance of the journey be = x km. Then, from the distance formula, we have:

Time of the first half + Time of the second half = 19 h

[x/2]/21 + [x/2]/24 = 19. Here we have to find the value of the ‘x’ from the equation. Therefore, we have
x = 224 km.

Practice Questions

Q 1: A person travels from P to Q at a speed of 40 km/h and returns by increasing his speed by 50%.
What is his average speed for both the trips?

A) 34 km/h B) 44 km/hr C) 48 km/hr D) 52 km/hr

Answer: C) 48 km/hr

Q 2: A man on a scooter moves at a certain speed. If he increases his speed by 3 km/h he would take 40
min lesser. If he moves 2km/h slower he would take 40 min more. The distance he travels is:

A) 20 km B) 30 km C) 40 km D) 50 km

Answer: C) 40 km

Distance Speed Time Formula

Speed is a measure of how quickly an object moves from one place to another. It is equal to the distance
traveled divided by the time. It is possible to find any of these three values using the other two. This
picture is helpful:

The positions of the words in the triangle show where they need to go in the equations. To find the
speed, distance is over time in the triangle, so speed is distance divided by time. To find distance, speed
is beside time, so distance is speed multiplied by time.

,,

,,

s = speed (meters/second)

d = distance traveled (meters)

t = time (seconds)

Distance Speed Time Formula Questions:

1) A dog runs from one side of a park to the other. The park is 80.0 meters across. The dog takes 16.0
seconds to cross the park. What is the speed of the dog?

Answer: The distance the dog travels and the time it takes are given. The dog’s speed can be found with
the formula:

s = 5.0 m/s

The speed of the dog is 5.0 meters per second.

2) A golf cart is driven at its top speed of 27.0 km/h for 10.0 minutes. In meters, how far did the golf cart
travel?

Answer: The first step to solve this problem is to change the units of the speed and time so that the
answer found will be in meters, since this is what the question asks for. The speed is:

s = 27.0 km/h

s = 7.50 m/s

Converting the units, the speed is 7.50 m/s. The time the cart traveled for was:
t = 10.0 min

t = 600s

The speed of the cart and the time of travel are given, so the distance traveled can be found using the
formula:

d = st

d = (7.50 m/s)(600 s)

d = 4500 m

The golf cart traveled 4500 m, which is equal to 4.50 km.

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The Physics Classroom » Physics Tutorial » 1-D Kinematics » Acceleration

1-D Kinematics - Lesson 1 - Describing Motion with Words

Acceleration

Introduction

Scalars and Vectors

Distance and Displacement

Speed and Velocity

Acceleration

The final mathematical quantity discussed in Lesson 1 is acceleration. An often confused quantity,
acceleration has a meaning much different than the meaning associated with it by sports announcers
and other individuals. The definition of acceleration is:

Acceleration is a vector quantity that is defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity. An
object is accelerating if it is changing its velocity.

Sports announcers will occasionally say that a person is accelerating if he/she is moving fast. Yet
acceleration has nothing to do with going fast. A person can be moving very fast and still not be
accelerating. Acceleration has to do with changing how fast an object is moving. If an object is not
changing its velocity, then the object is not accelerating. The data at the right are representative of a
northward-moving accelerating object. The velocity is changing over the course of time. In fact, the
velocity is changing by a constant amount - 10 m/s - in each second of time. Anytime an object's velocity
is changing, the object is said to be accelerating; it has an acceleration.
The Meaning of Constant Acceleration

Sometimes an accelerating object will change its velocity by the same amount each second. As
mentioned in the previous paragraph, the data table above show an object changing its velocity by 10
m/s in each consecutive second. This is referred to as a constant acceleration since the velocity is
changing by a constant amount each second. An object with a constant acceleration should not be
confused with an object with a constant velocity. Don't be fooled! If an object is changing its velocity
-whether by a constant amount or a varying amount - then it is an accelerating object. And an object
with a constant velocity is not accelerating. The data tables below depict motions of objects with a
constant acceleration and a changing acceleration. Note that each object has a changing velocity.

Since accelerating objects are constantly changing their velocity, one can say that the distance
traveled/time is not a constant value. A falling object for instance usually accelerates as it falls. If we
were to observe the motion of a free-falling object (free fall motion will be discussed in detail later), we
would observe that the object averages a velocity of approximately 5 m/s in the first second,
approximately 15 m/s in the second second, approximately 25 m/s in the third second, approximately 35
m/s in the fourth second, etc. Our free-falling object would be constantly accelerating. Given these
average velocity values during each consecutive 1-second time interval, we could say that the object
would fall 5 meters in the first second, 15 meters in the second second (for a total distance of 20
meters), 25 meters in the third second (for a total distance of 45 meters), 35 meters in the fourth second
(for a total distance of 80 meters after four seconds). These numbers are summarized in the table below.

Time

Interval Velocity Change

During Interval Ave. Velocity

During Interval Distance Traveled

During Interval Total Distance Traveled from

0 s to End of Interval

0 – 1.0 s 0 to ~10 m/s ~5 m/s ~5 m ~5 m

1.0 – 2.0 s ~10 to 20 m/s ~15 m/s ~15 m ~20 m

2.0 – 3.0 s ~20 to 30 m/s ~25 m/s ~25 m ~45 m

3.0 – 4.0 s ~30 to 40 m/s ~35 m/s ~35 m ~80 m

Note: The ~ symbol as used here means approximately.

This discussion illustrates that a free-falling object that is accelerating at a constant rate will cover
different distances in each consecutive second. Further analysis of the first and last columns of the data
above reveal that there is a square relationship between the total distance traveled and the time of
travel for an object starting from rest and moving with a constant acceleration. The total distance
traveled is directly proportional to the square of the time. As such, if an object travels for twice the time,
it will cover four times (2^2) the distance; the total distance traveled after two seconds is four times the
total distance traveled after one second. If an object travels for three times the time, then it will cover
nine times (3^2) the distance; the distance traveled after three seconds is nine times the distance
traveled after one second. Finally, if an object travels for four times the time, then it will cover 16 times
(4^2) the distance; the distance traveled after four seconds is 16 times the distance traveled after one
second. For objects with a constant acceleration, the distance of travel is directly proportional to the
square of the time of travel.

Calculating the Average Acceleration

The average acceleration (a) of any object over a given interval of time (t) can be calculated using the
equation

This equation can be used to calculate the acceleration of the object whose motion is depicted by the
velocity-time data table above. The velocity-time data in the table shows that the object has an
acceleration of 10 m/s/s. The calculation is shown below.
Acceleration values are expressed in units of velocity/time. Typical acceleration units include the
following:

m/s/s

mi/hr/s

km/hr/s

m/s2

These units may seem a little awkward to a beginning physics student. Yet they are very reasonable units
when you begin to consider the definition and equation for acceleration. The reason for the units
becomes obvious upon examination of the acceleration equation.

Since acceleration is a velocity change over a time, the units on acceleration are velocity units divided by
time units - thus (m/s)/s or (mi/hr)/s. The (m/s)/s unit can be mathematically simplified to m/s2.

The Direction of the Acceleration Vector

Since acceleration is a vector quantity, it has a direction associated with it. The direction of the
acceleration vector depends on two things:

whether the object is speeding up or slowing down

whether the object is moving in the + or - direction

The general principle for determining the acceleation is:

If an object is slowing down, then its acceleration is in the opposite direction of its motion.

This general principle can be applied to determine whether the sign of the acceleration of an object is
positive or negative, right or left, up or down, etc. Consider the two data tables below. In each case, the
acceleration of the object is in the positive direction. In Example A, the object is moving in the positive
direction (i.e., has a positive velocity) and is speeding up. When an object is speeding up, the
acceleration is in the same direction as the velocity. Thus, this object has a positive acceleration. In
Example B, the object is moving in the negative direction (i.e., has a negative velocity) and is slowing
down. According to our general principle, when an object is slowing down, the acceleration is in the
opposite direction as the velocity. Thus, this object also has a positive acceleration.

This same general principle can be applied to the motion of the objects represented in the two data
tables below. In each case, the acceleration of the object is in the negative direction. In Example C, the
object is moving in the positive direction (i.e., has a positive velocity) and is slowing down. According to
our principle, when an object is slowing down, the acceleration is in the opposite direction as the
velocity. Thus, this object has a negative acceleration. In Example D, the object is moving in the negative
direction (i.e., has a negative velocity) and is speeding up. When an object is speeding up, the
acceleration is in the same direction as the velocity. Thus, this object also has a negative acceleration.

Observe the use of positive and negative as used in the discussion above (Examples A - D). In physics, the
use of positive and negative always has a physical meaning. It is more than a mere mathematical symbol.
As used here to describe the velocity and the acceleration of a moving object, positive and negative
describe a direction. Both velocity and acceleration are vector quantities and a full description of the
quantity demands the use of a directional adjective. North, south, east, west, right, left, up and down are
all directional adjectives. Physics often borrows from mathematics and uses the + and - symbols as
directional adjectives. Consistent with the mathematical convention used on number lines and graphs,
positive often means to the right or up and negative often means to the left or down. So to say that an
object has a negative acceleration as in Examples C and D is to simply say that its acceleration is to the
left or down (or in whatever direction has been defined as negative). Negative accelerations do not refer
acceleration values that are less than 0. An acceleration of -2 m/s/s is an acceleration with a magnitude
of 2 m/s/s that is directed in the negative direction.

Velocity, Speed, and Motion... Oh My!

Velocity equals distance divided by time.Velocity and speed are very similar ideas, but velocity is a vector,
and speed is not. Suppose we knew that someone was driving at thirty-five kilometers an hour (35
km/hr), but the direction wasn't given. How would you draw an arrow to represent a vector? You can't
know how to draw the vector if you only have one value (either amount or direction). In this example,
you were never told about the direction. Physicists would say that the speed is thirty-five kilometers an
hour (35 km/hr), but the velocity is unknown. On the other hand, if you're moving at 35 km/hr in a
northern direction, then you would have an arrow pointing north with a length of 35. Physicists would
say that the velocity is 35 km/hr north.

Velocity is the rate of motion in a specific direction. I'm going that-a-way at 30 kilometers per hour. My
velocity is 30 kilometers per hour that-a-way. Average speed is described as a measure of distance
divided by time. Velocity can be constant, or it can change (acceleration). Speed with a direction is
velocity.

Remember vectors? You will use a lot of vectors when you work with velocity. Our real world example of
navigation on the ocean used velocity for every vector. Velocity is a vector measurement because it has
an amount and a direction. Speed is only an amount (a scalar). Speed doesn't tell the whole story to a
physicist. Think of it another way. If I tell you I'm driving north and ask you how long until we get to the
city. You can't know the answer since you don't know my speed. You need both values.

One Moment in Time

Instantaneous velocity measures one moment in time.There is a special thing called instantaneous
velocity. That's the velocity at a split second in time. Above, we were talking about your speed and
direction over a long period of time. Why would you need to measure a velocity at one moment? Think
about the moment you drove over the manhole. It's important to know if you were going 1 km/hr when
you drove over the manhole, or 60 km/hr. It wouldn't help you to know that your average speed was 30
km/hr.

The term "instantaneous" refers to something physicists call a limit. Scientists "limit" the amount of time
they do the measurement. When the "limit" moves to zero, that limit is one tiny moment in time. A
physicist would measure your velocity as the "limit for a period of time", zero, to get the instantaneous
velocity.

Changing Your Velocity

Acceleration and deccelerationWhen velocity is changing, the word acceleration is used. Acceleration is
also a vector. You speed up if the acceleration and velocity point in the same direction. You slow down
(also referred to as decelerating) if the acceleration and velocity point in opposite directions. When you
accelerate or decelerate, you change your velocity by a specific amount over a specific amount of time.
Just as with velocity, there is something called instantaneous acceleration. Instantaneous means
scientists measure your acceleration for a specific moment of time. That way they can say he was
accelerating at exactly this amount at this point during his trip.

Constant Acceleration

Constant acceleration due to gravityThere are a few special situations where acceleration may be
constant. This type of acceleration happens when there is a constant net force applied. The best example
is gravity. Gravity's pull on objects is a constant here on Earth and it always pulls toward the center of the
planet (Note: Gravity decreases as you move far away from the surface of the planet.). The gravities of
other planets are different from Earth's gravity because they may have different masses and/or sizes.
Even though the gravity may be smaller or larger, it will still create a constant acceleration near the
surface of each planet.