Motion

Review 1-D
Formulas: time t ≥ 0

Position Function: r(t)

Tells you the location of a moving object
dr
Velocity Function: v(t) =
dt
Tells you how fast the object is moving AND
Tells you the direction in which the object is moving

Speed Function: v(t)

Tells you only how fast the object is moving

dv d 2 r
Acceleration Function: a(t) = = 2
dt dt
Tells you how fast the velocity is changing AND
Tells you if the velocity is increasing or decreasing

Example:

Position Function: r(t) = t 2 − 4t − 3

Velocity Function: v(t) =
Speed Function: v(t) =
Acceleration Function: a(t) =

When t = 1 :
 2-D
Formulas: time t ≥ 0

Position Function: r (t) = x(t), y(t)
Tells you the location of a moving object
Velocity Function: v(t)
Tells you how fast the object is moving AND
Tells you the direction in which the object is moving

Speed Function: v(t)
Tells you only how fast the object is moving

Acceleration Function: a(t)
Has both magnitude and direction
What do they tell you?

Example:

r (t) = x(t), y(t) = t 2 , 2t

Tells you the location of an object moving on the path

described by the parametric equations:

x(t) = t 2
y(t) = 2t

What is the path?

 Vector-Valued Functions

Review Real(scalar)-Valued Functions: f (t)

Domain (input) Range (output)

Example: f (t) = t 2 Plot:

f (3) =


Vector-Valued Functions: (t) = x(t), y(t)
r
Domain (input) Range (output)


Example: r (t) = t 2
, 2t Plot:

r (3) =
 Calculus

Derivatives

Review Real-Valued Functions:

df f f (t +t) − f (t)
Definition: f ′(t) = = lim = lim
dt  t→0 t t→0 t
What does it mean?
Instantaneous rate of change of output f (t) with respect to
input t .

How do you use it?

Find the slope of the line tangent to the curve at the point
(t, f (t)) .

How do you find it?

Use the derivative rules whenever possible

Example:
f (t) = t 2
f ′(t) =
f ′(3) =
 Vector-Valued Functions:
   
 dr r r (t +t) − r (t)
Definition: ′
r (t) = = lim = lim
dt t→0 t t→0 t
What does it mean? 
Instantaneous rate of change of output r (t) with respect to
input t .

How do you use it?

How do you find it?

 
r (t) = x(t), y(t) ⇒ r ′(t) = x ′(t), y′(t)

Example:

r (t) = t 2 , 2t

r ′(t) =

r ′(3) =
Integrals

Review Real-Valued Functions:

Indefinite Integrals: ∫ f (t)dt = F(t) + C where F ′(t) = f (t)

b
Definite Integrals: ∫ a
f (t)dt = F(b) − F(a)

How do you find it?

Use the antiderivative rules and the Fundamental Theorem
of Calculus

Example:

f (t) = t 2

∫ dt =
2
t

2
∫1
t 2 dt =
 Vector-Valued Functions:

Indefinite Integrals:

∫ r (t)dt = ∫ x(t), y(t) dt = ∫ x(t)dt, ∫ y(t)dt
Definite Integrals:
b  b b b
∫ a
r (t)dt = ∫ a
x(t), y(t) dt = ∫ a
x(t)dt , ∫ y(t)dt
a

How do you find it?

Use the antiderivative rules and the Fundamental Theorem
of Calculus on the components of the vector.

Examples:

∫ t 3 ,t dt =

∫ e2t ,sin t dt =

∫
4
cos 4t,sin 4t dt
0
 Motion in 2-D
Formulas: time t ≥ 0

Position Function: r (t) = x(t), y(t)
Tells you the location of a moving object
Plot as a position vector
Tail at (0, 0)
Tip traces the curve with parametric equations:
x = x(t)
y = y(t)

 dr
Velocity Function: v(t) = =
dt
Tells you how fast the object is moving AND
Tells you the direction in which the object is moving
Plot at the point corresponding to time t
Tail at (x(t), y(t))
Tip points?

Speed Function: v(t) =
Tells you only how fast the object is moving
Length of the velocity vector (speed is a scalar)
 2
 dv d r
Acceleration Function: a(t) = = 2 =
dt dt
Plot at the point corresponding to time t
Tail at (x(t), y(t))
Tip points?
Example:

r (t) = x(t), y(t) = t 2 , 2t

Position function: r (t) =

Velocity function: v(t) =

Acceleration function: a(t) =

Speed function: v(t) =

What is the path if t ≥ 0 ?

 t=0
At  t =1
At  t=2
At
Position r (0) = r (1) = r (2) =
  
Velocity v(0) = v(1) = v(2) =
  
Acceleration a(0) = a(1) = a(2) =
  
Speed v(0) = v(1) = v(2) =
 Motion in 3-D
Formulas: time t ≥ 0

Position Function: r (t) = x(t), y(t), z(t)
Tells you the location of a moving object
Plot as a position vector
Tail at (0, 0, 0)
Tip traces the curve with parametric equations:
x = x(t)
y = y(t)
z = z(t)

 dr
Velocity Function: v(t) = =
dt
Tells you how fast the object is moving AND
Tells you the direction in which the object is moving
Plot at the point corresponding to time t
Tail at (x(t), y(t), z(t))
Tip points tangent to the curve in the direction of the
motion

Speed Function: v(t) =
Tells you only how fast the object is moving
Length of the velocity vector (speed is a scalar)
 2
 dv d r
Acceleration Function: a(t) = = 2 =
dt dt
Tail at (x(t), y(t), z(t))
Example:

r (t) = x(t), y(t), z(t) = 2 sin t, 2 cost, 2t

Position function: r (t) =

Velocity function: v(t) =

Acceleration function: a(t) =

Speed function: v(t) =

What is the path?

At t = 0 At t = 1 At t = 2
  
r (0) = r (1) ≈ 1.7,1.1, 2 r (2) ≈ 1.8, −.8, 4
  
v(0) = v(1) ≈ 1.1, −1.7, 2 v(2) ≈ −.8, −1.8, 2
  
a(0) = a(1) ≈ −1.7, −1.1, 0 a(2) ≈ −1.8,.8, 0
  
v(0) = v(1) ≈ 2.8 v(2) ≈ 2.8
More 2-D:

r (t) = x(t), y(t) = sin(2t), cos(2t)

Position function: r (t) =

Velocity function: v(t) =

Acceleration function: a(t) =

Speed function: v(t) =

What is the path?

At t = 0 At t = 1 At t = 2
  
r (0) = r (1) ≈ .9, −.4 r (2) ≈ −.8, −.7
  
v(0) = v(1) ≈ −.8, −1.8 v(2) ≈ −1.3,1.5
  
a(0) = a(1) ≈ −3.6,1.7 a(2) ≈ 3.0, 2.6
  
v(0) = v(1) = 2 v(2) = 2
Example:

r (t) = x(t), y(t) = sin(t 2 ), cos(t 2 )

Position function: r (t) =

Velocity function: v(t) =

Acceleration function: a(t) =

Speed function: v(t) =

What is the path?

At t = 0 At t = 1 At t = 2
  
r (0) = r (1) ≈ .8,.5 r (2) ≈ −.8, −.7
  
v(0) = v(1) ≈ 1.1, −1.7 v(2) ≈ −2.6, 3.0
  
a(0) = a(1) ≈ −2.3, −3.8 a(2) ≈ 10.8,12.0
  
v(0) = v(1) = 2 v(2) = 4
Example:

r (t) = x(t), y(t) = 2t − 2 sin t, 2 − 2 cost

Position function: r (t) =

Velocity function: v(t) =

Acceleration function: a(t) =

Speed function: v(t) =

What is the path?

At t = 0 At t = 1 At t = 2
  
r (0) = r (1) ≈ .3,.9 r (2) ≈ 2.2, 2.8
  
v(0) = v(1) ≈ .9,1.7 v(2) ≈ 2.8,1.8
  
a(0) = a(1) ≈ 1.7,1.1 a(2) ≈ 1.8, −.8
  
v(0) = v(1) ≈ 1.9 v(2) ≈ 3.4