Ch 2.

Motion in a Straight Line

One Dimensional (x-axis only)
“Dinophysics : Velocity-
Raptor”
Definitions
1. Kinematics - Motion Motion in 3-D space can be complicated
Kinetic Energy - Energy associated with motion
2. Motion in physics is broken down into categories
Straight Line
a.) Translational Motion - motion such that an object moves
from one position to another along a straight line.

Spinning
b.) Rotational Motion - motion such that an object moves from
one position to another along a circular path.

Up and Back
c.) Vibrational Motion - motion such that an object moves back
and forth in some type of periodicity.
Example: Diatomic Molecule Moving Through Space.

Vibrational

Rotational
at i on
an sl
et Tr
N
i
X - Dir Translational

Note: In this chapter all objects are going to be considered POINT

PARTICLES – No Spatial Extent – No Rotations – No Vibrations
Speed
1. Speed - How fast an object is moving regardless of what direction it is
moving.
Speed = ≡ Distance Traveled
Change in time
Equality by Definition
Example 1 Traveling from your parking space at Conestoga to New York
City and back to Conestoga. Find your average speed for the round trip.
y(mi)
One way travel = 130 mi.
Total Distance Traveled = 260 mi. back
Total time elapsed = 5.2 hrs. or (5 hrs 12 min) NY
up
0 Conestoga 97 x(mi)
Speed Calculations are EASY
Always distance / time

Round Trip Average Speed

260miles
vspeed = = 50 miles
5.2hr hr
Displacement - Change in position (straight line distance with direction)
Must specify a coordinate system.

Example: Cartesian coordinate system

y(m) xi = xinitial = Initial Position

xf = xfinal = Final Position
up

back
xi = 2m xf = 6m x(m)
x1 x2
Mathematical
∆ “Delta” Notation for
Direction
x = Change in x = x  x = 6 m- 2 m = + 4 m x
f i
Delta x is the displacement or change in the x position
Average Velocity
Avg. Velocity - How fast an object is moving and in what direction it is moving.

Average Velocity =≡ Change in position

Change in time
Equality by Definition

v xv  xv
v x f i
 vavg = =
t t f  ti
 Notation for Displacement & Velocity
x̂ = x “hat”, and has a value of one. The sole purpose of x̂is to indicate the
direction
Example Problem:
A particle initially at position x = 5 m at time t= 2 s moves to position x = -2 m and
arrives at time t = 4 s.
a.) Find the displacement of the particle.
b.) Find the average speed and velocity of the particle.
Given: v v v y(m)
a.) x = x f  xi
xi = 5m @ ti = 2 s
v v
x f = 2 m @ t f = 4 s x = [2 xˆ  ( +5 xˆ )]m = 7 m xˆ
xi
v v
distance v
v
x
xf x x(m)

b.) vspeed = vavg =

t t
7m v 7 m xˆ
vspeed = = 3.5 m vavg = = 3.5 m xˆ
2s s
2s s
 Example Problem 1 revisited
Example 1. Traveling from your parking space at Conestoga to New York City
and back to Conestoga. The straight line distance from Conestoga to Y is 97 mi.
y(mi)
One way travel = 130 mi. back
Total Distance Traveled = 260 mi. NY
up
Travel time Con. to NY = 2.6 hrs.
0 Conestoga 97 x(mi)
Travel time NY to Con. = 2.6 hrs.

a.) What was the avg speed

130miles
from Conestoga to NY? vspeed = 2.6hr = 50 miles
hr

v ˆ
b.) What was the avg velocity from Conestoga to NY? vavg = 972.6mihrx = 37.3 mi xˆ
hr

260miles
c.) What was the avg speed for the round trip? vspeed = 5.2hr = 50 miles
hr

v 0mi xˆ
d.) What was the avg velocity for the round trip?
vavg = 5.2hr = 0 mi
hr
Speed in PATH DEPENDENT.
Velocity is PATH INDEPENDENT. It only depends on the initial and final
positions.
 Scalar vs. Vector Quantities A number (with units) that
Scalar - Quantity that has magnitude only. describes how big or small
- Mass - Speed
- Length - Energy

Vector - A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

- Position - Acceleration
- Velocity - Forces
Example: Length vs. Position
Scalar Vector
Pt. B Pt. A

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 x(m)
v v
A = +3m xˆ B = 4m xˆ
A = 3m B = 4m
x̂ = x “hat”, and is called a unit vector in the x-direction.
It has a
magnitude of one (hence the name unit) and is used solely to specify
direction.
Concepts Check – The Negatives
Q. Can speed be negative?

A. NO! – The least speed an object can have is zero – it is at rest

Q. Can velocity be negative?

A . YES! Negative velocity means an object is moving backwards.
E.g. An object moving -10 m s xˆ is moving backwards with a speed of 10 m/s

Q. Can distance be negative?

A. NO! – The least distance an object can move is zero – it is at rest

Q. Can displacement be negative?

A . YES! Negative displacement means an object moved backwards.
E.g. An object with a displacement ∆x of -10 m xˆ moved backwards 10m.
 Both of these movements
Position vs. Time Graph describe an object moving in
x Y1 Y2 one dimension along the x-axis!
NOT up and to the right!
Time (s) Position Position
(m) (m)
0 0 0
1 1 5
2 4 10
3 9 15
Movement 1
4 16 20 Movement 2
5 25 25
 x=rise
 t=run

Movement 1
1s 2s 3s 4s 5s
● ● ● ● ●
For any time interval
0 5m 10m 15m 20m 25m
vavg = x
t = rise
run = slope
● ● ● ● ●
1s 2s 3s 4s 5s SLOPE is Avg. Velocity
Movement 2
 Position vs. Time Graph for a Complete Trip
x y
300
Time (s) Position (m)
250
B 0 0
C
200 10 200
D
P o sitio n (m )

150 20 200

25 150
100
45 -100
50
60 0
A F
0
Slope Find the average velocity as the
-50 o f th e s object moves from:
ecant
-100 lin e is v E
a.) A to B b.) B to C
-150
avg c.) C to D d.) A to E
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (s)

( 200  0 ) m ( 00) m
a.) vA�B = x
t = ( 10 0 ) s = 20 m = Slope b.) vB �C = x
t = ( 20 10 ) s = 0, Stopped
s

( 150  200 ) m ( 100  0 ) m

c.) vD �E = x
t = ( 25 20 ) s = 10 m d.) v A�E = x
t = ( 45 0 ) s = 2.22 m
s s
Velocity vs. Time (Constant Velocity)
t run

x rise x rise
v = = = Slope
avg run
t

Slope Area

∆t = base
x = v(t ) = height (base) = area
x v = height
Velocity vs. Time Graph for a Complete Trip

300
25
+X 250 20
A B
B C
200 15
D
10
Area =
P o sitio n (m )

150 E F
200m

Velocity (m/s)
5
100
B C
0
50 Area =

A F -5 Area =
0 -50m -250m
-10 C D E
-50 -15 D

-100 -20
E
-25
− X -150 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (s) Time (s)
 v
r x x ( t f )  x ( t i )
Instantaneous Velocity recall: v avg =
t
=
tf  ti
xˆ (Average velocity)

r 50.5m - 35.0m
∆t = 1.5 sec
 m 2  m 4 v avg = = 10.3 m xˆ
x( t) = 3 m +  10
Consider the function x(t): A.
 t -  0.5  t 3.5s - 2.0s s
 s2   s4 

r 39.7 m - 35.0m
B. v avg = = 23.5 m xˆ ∆t = 0.2 sec
2.2s - 2.0 s s

60

50 ●
40 ●
●
x(m) 30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4
t(sec)

The instantaneous velocity at the time t = ti is the limiting value we get by letting the upper
value of the tf approach ti.
 dX( t)  X ( t f )  X( t i ) 
v( t) = = lim  
Mathematically this is expressed as: dt t f  ti  t f  ti 

The velocity function ( t) is the time derivative of the position function X( t) .
v
Differentiation (Calculus)
Acceleration
When the instantaneous velocity of a particle is changing with time, the particle is accelerating

v v v v
a avg = v = f i xˆ (Average Acceleration)
t tf  ti
v
Units: a avg = m/s = m
s s2

Example: If a particle is moving with a velocity in the x-direction given by

  m 
v(t) =  3 3  t 2

 s 
a.) What is the average acceleration over the time interval 6 s  t  12 s

v f  vi
aavg = v
t = t f ti

3(12)2 3(6) 2 324 m s

aavg = (12  6) = 6s = 54 m 2
s
 Example: Instantaneous Acceleration

Stopped

a.) Find aavg. over the time interval 5  t  8

a
avg =
v
t =30 14
85 = 5.3 m
s2

b.) What is the acceleration at time t = 6 s ?

Slope of tangent – pick 2 points on the tangent line.
Answer will we smaller than the answer to part a, (5.3 s 2 ).
m

c.) What is the acceleration when the velocity of the particle is

zero? Slope �0
Objects with zero velocity can be accelerating!
 Positive and Negative Accelerations
v(m/s)
D
Moving C
Forward

Stopped 0
B E t (s)

Moving
A F
Backward
A→B
:
Slowing Down, Moving Backward, Pt. B=Stop
v = () negative a = slope = (+) positive
B→C
Speeding Up, Moving Forward
:
v = (+) Positive a = slope = (+) positive
Constant Speed, Moving Forward
C→D v = (+) positive a = slope = ZERO
:
Slowing Down, Moving Forward, Pt. E=Stop
v = (+) Positive a = slope = ()negative
D→E:
Speeding Up, Moving Backward
v = ()negative a = slope = ()negative
E→F:
Special Case: Constant Acceleration
We make the assumption that the acceleration does not change.
Near the surface of the earth, (where most of us spend most of our
a(m/s2) time) the acceleration due to gravity is approximately constant ag =
9.8 m/s2

a a= v
t � v = at = height (base)
v v f  vi = a (t f  ti )
0

0
ti = 0 tf = t t (s)
vf = vi + a t 1.
Area! Slope! y = b + mx
v(m/s)
vf x = x1 + x2
x2
vi
x1 x = vi t + 12 t (v f  vi )
0
ti = 0 tf = t t (s)
Slope!
Area!
x(m)
xf
x = vi t + 12 t (at )
1 2
xi xf = xi + v i t + at
2.
2
ti = 0 tf = t t (s)
Solving for the 3rd constant acceleration equation
Solve equation 1 for t and substitute t into equation 2 to get the following equation.

v 2f = vi2 + 2 a x 3.

v f  vi
=t x = vi t + at 1
2
2

a
( ) ( )
v f  vi v f  vi 2
x = vi a + 12 a a

x =
v f vi  vi2
a + 1
2a (v 2
f  2v f vi + v 2
i )
2ax = 2v f vi  2v + v  2v f vi + v 2
i
2
f
2
i

2ax = v + v 2
i
2
f

v = v + 2ax
2
f
2
i
 FREE-FALL ACCELERATION (9.8 m/s2 = 32 ft/s2)
Consider a ball is thrown straight up.
It is in “Free Fall” the moment it leaves you hand.
Plot y(t) vs. t for the example above. Why? Because a = 9.8 sm2
y(t) y f = yi + viy t + 12 at 2
from the moment it leaves
your hand.
tf
v=0 t = 2

t/2 tf
top

Plot v(t) vs. t

Moving
up v f = vi + at
Stopped 0
t/2 tf
+ vi
Moving
down Ground
vi Level
FINAL NOTES ON CH 2.
Remember , when going between the following graphs

x(t)
Area
v(t)
Slope Under
Curve
a(t)

Problem Solving with the constant acceleration equations

1.Write down all three equations in the margin
2.a =  9.8 m/s2 for free fall problems
3.Analyze the problem in terms of initial and final sections.