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2.4 CONSTANT ACCELERATION

A Special Case for Motion with Acceleration
In many types of motion, the acceleration is either constant or approximately so. For example, if you increase
the speed of a car, the acceleration is approximately constant, and if you brake to a stop it is again
approximately constant. Because such approximations are so common, we will here develop a set of equations
in which we take the acceleration to be constant. These special equations are the following:

(2.4.1)

(2.4.2)

(2.4.3)

(2.4.4)

(2.4.5)
At the initial time t = 0, the position is x0 and the velocity is v0. The acceleration is a constant a from then to a
later time t, when the position is x and the velocity is v. The first two equations are the most important. So, if
you want to memorize anything, memorize those. The other three equations can be derived from them by
solving the first two simultaneously, as we will see. Instead of the explicit statement that “the acceleration is
constant,” you might see the equivalent statement that “the velocity increases (or decreases) at a constant rate.”
You might also see that the velocity is constant, which means that the acceleration is a constant with the value a
= 0.
Before we get to the derivations, let's consider graphs of acceleration, velocity, and position versus time.
Because a is just a constant, a plot of a versus t must be a flat line. Depending on the actual value, the line can
be above the time axis as in this next figure or below it, or exactly on the time axis if a is just 0.

Figure 2.4.1

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Our Eq. 2.4.1,

()
tells us that v is a linear function of time t. So a plot of v versus t must be a straight line. It may be tilted upward
as in the next figure, tilted downward, or flat (if a is just 0), but it must be straight for any constant-acceleration
situation.

Figure 2.4.2

Our Eq. 2.4.2

()
tells us that x is a quadratic function of time t. So a plot of x versus t will be curved (the square on the t symbol
does the curving) for any non-zero acceleration. It may be curved upward as in the next figure or curved
downward, or it could be straight if a is just zero.

Figure 2.4.3

Recall our general rules about relating plots of x, v, and a versus time:
Velocity v versus t is a plot of the slope along the plot of x versus t.
Acceleration a versus t is a plot of the slope along the plot of v versus t.

Next, let's derive the constant-acceleration equations.

Equation 2.4.1, v = v0 + at
The key in this derivation is that because a is constant, the average acceleration aavg during the motion is equal
to that constant. From our earlier definition of average acceleration,

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()
we substitute a for aavg, v for v1, t for t1, and 0 for t0.

Equation 2.4.2,
The key in this derivation is that we can write the average velocity vavg in two ways. First, from our earlier
definition of average velocity

()
we substitute x for x1, t for t1, and 0 for t0.
The second way of writing the average velocity vavg is similar to your finding the average of two grades: The
average is half of the sum of the grades. Because here the velocity is a linear function of time, the average
velocity is half of the sum of the initial velocity v0 and the later velocity v:

()
Substitute our result of v = v0 + at (Eq. 2.4.1) for v.

Remaining three equations

The remaining three equations of our basic constant-acceleration equations come from solving the first two
equations simultaneously:

(2.4.3)

(2.4.4)

(2.4.5)
Equation 2.4.3 Solve Eqs. 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 simultaneously by eliminating time t. The result is

()
This is useful if you face a problem in which t is not given or desired.

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Equation 2.4.4 Solve Eqs. 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 simultaneously by eliminating acceleration a. The result is

()
This is useful if you face a problem in which a is not given or desired.
Equation 2.4.3 Solve Eqs. 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 simultaneously by eliminating initial velocity v0. The result is

()
This is useful if you have a problem in which v0 is not given or desired. But heads up here: This equation is
similar to Eq. 2.4.2 but contains a minus sign and the final velocity v, not the initial velocity v0.
When you work problems, how will you know which equation to use? There is nothing wrong with trying them
one by one, but you might shorten the list by examining what variables are given and which variable is being
requested. With experience, choosing an equation will become fast, at least with problems where you need only
one equation to get an answer (a “one-step dance”). More experience will be needed to work more challenging
problems where you need to use multiple equations. Just as in music, dance, tae-kwon-do, and almost any other
challenging occupation, you need experience and practice.
Learning Objective
After reading this module, you should be able to …
2.4.1For constant acceleration, apply the relationships between position, displacement, velocity,acceleration,
and elapsed time.

Key Ideas
Here are the Key Ideas in this module. Below we will use them in the Examples.
•The following five equations describe the motion of a particle with constant acceleration:

()
These equations are not valid when the acceleration is not constant.

Example 2.4.1 GameTraffic control lights

When a traffic light turns yellow, should you continue to travel at a constant speed or should you brake to a
stop? The answer partially depends on whether the yellow duration is fair or unfair. Here are two intersections
to investigate. Assume the common legal requirement: You can legally enter an intersection on a yellow light

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but not a red light.

Example 2.4.1 Figure 1

A car is headed toward the intersection at speed v0 = 16.0 m/s (maximum legal speed). The car can brake with a
constant deceleration of a = −4.00 m/s2. Here are three useful equations.

()
Intersection of 14th and Main:
Light turns yellow when the front end of the car is at distance D = 20.0 m from the intersection. Yellow duration
is ty = 1.40 s.

Intersection of Taylor and Bond:

Light turns yellow when car is at distance D = 34.0 m from the intersection. Yellow duration is ty = 2.00 s.

Example 2.4.2 Sample ProblemConstant acceleration, two velocities

given
Here is a simple problem involving a single step.
A particle moving in the positive direction of an x axis slows from 50.0 m/s to 20.0 m/s at the rate of 4.00 m/s2.
How much time and how much distance are required?

KEY IDEAS
1.The “rate of slowing” is another way of saying “acceleration” or “deceleration” because it is the rate at
which the velocity is changing.
2.Because the particle is moving in the positive x direction and slowing, the acceleration must be in the
negative x direction. Thus, we use a = −4.00 m/s2.
3.Because the acceleration is a constant, we can use the constant-acceleration equations:

(2.4.1)

(2.4.2)

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(2.4.3)

(2.4.4)

(2.4.5)

Example 2.4.3 Sample ProblemConstant acceleration, two stages of

acceleration
This is more than a simple plug-in to a formula (it is more than a one-step dance).
A particle moves through a displacement of 1500 m along an x axis, starting and ending at rest. Through the
first 900 m, it has constant acceleration a = 2.00 m/s2. Through the remaining distance, it has a different
constant acceleration (or deceleration). How much time does the trip take?

KEY IDEA
In both stages the particle moves at constant acceleration. So we can use the constant-acceleration equations:

(2.4.1)

(2.4.2)

(2.4.3)

(2.4.4)

(2.4.5)
Calculations Because the accelerations in the two stages of motion are different, we need to calculate the time
for each stage separately.
Stage 1
We know this:

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()
We want the time t1 required for this first displacement. Let's choose Eq. 2.4.2,

()
because we know every variable in it except for the desired time.
Stage 2
During the second stage, the particle slows to rest from its final speed in stage 1 in time t2 and within the
last 600 m of the displacement. Things look grim when we examine our list of constant-acceleration
equations. We know and that the final velocity is v = 0 (the particle comes to rest). But all the
equations that involve time each require extra knowledge. For instance, Eq. 2.4.4,

()
requires that we know the velocity v0 at the start of stage 2. Well, OK, let's get that value. It is the velocity at
the end of stage 1. So go back to the stage 1 data.

Example 2.4.4 Sample ProblemCars moving toward each other

This is a more challenging problem with constant acceleration. Simply plugging numbers into an equation gets
us nowhere, so something extra is required.
On a movie set, a red car and a green car are to move toward each other on opposite sides of a highway lane
divider line, as indicated in the figure.

Example 2.4.4 Figure 1

When the drivers pass each other, the driver of the red car is to toss a package of contraband to the other driver.
To catch the toss on video, one of the cameras must be set up near the point where the toss will be made. When
“action” is yelled out on the set, the initial separation between the drivers will be 200 m, the red car will
accelerate from rest at a constant 6.12 m/s2, starting at xr = 0, and the green car will already be in motion with a
constant speed of 60 km/h at xg = 200 m. How far from the initial position of the red car will the toss occur?

KEY IDEAS
1.Both cars move at constant acceleration (6.12 m/s2 for the red car and 0 for the green car). So, we can use
the constant-acceleration equations:

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(2.4.1)

(2.4.2)

(2.4.3)

(2.4.4)

(2.4.5)
2.When the drivers pass each other, they have the same coordinate x = xp at the same time t = tp. We seek xp.

Calculations Let's try Eq. 2.4.2 because it includes position x, initial velocity v0, and acceleration a, all of which
are involved here. Then let's substitute known data for each car separately. For the red car, we substitute initial
position x0 = 0, initial velocity v0 = 0, (constant) acceleration a = 6.12 m/s2, and symbol tp.
But isn't this a dead end? With two unknowns in the equation, we cannot solve for either. However, let's use Eq.
2.4.2 again but this time for the green car, which has initial position x0 = 200 and constant speed of 60 km/h.
Alas, we again have an equation with two unknowns, which seems hopeless. But wait, this equation has the
same two unknowns as the first equation. So, solve them simultaneously by eliminating xp. (This takes physics
courage because we are eliminating the quantity that we want.)

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