Dr.

Sausan Al-Riyami
Lecturer of Physics
Department of Mathematics and Science
German University of Technology in Oman

Motion: Kinematics in One Dimension

Kinematics is the part of mechanics that
describes the motion of physical objects. We say
that an object moves when its position as
determined by an observer changes with time.
Any measurement of position, distance, or speed
must be made with respect to a reference frame.
What is the different between distance and
displacement ?
Displacement (blue line) is how far the object is
from its starting point, regardless of how it got
there as it is shown in figure 1.
Distance traveled (dashed line) is measured
along the actual path.

Figure 1.

Motion
Consider an object moving along a straight line taken to be the x-axis.
The objects position at any time t is described by its coordinate x(t)
defined with respect to the origin O. The coordinate x can be positive
or negative depending whether the object is located on the positive or
the negative part of the x-axis.

Figure 1. Position is determined on an axis that is

marked in units of the length (here meters) and that
extends indefinitely in opposite directions. The axis
name, here x, is always on the positive side of the
origin.

Displacement
Displacement : If an object moves from position x1 to position x2 , the change in position is
described by the displacement.

x x2 x1
Example (1):

If x1 = 5 m and x2 = 12 m then x = 12 5 = 7 m. The positive sign of x indicates that

the motion is along the positive x-direction.
If instead the object moves from x1 = 5 m and x2 = 1 m then x = 1 5 = -4 m. The
negative sign of x indicates that the motion is along the negative x-direction.
Consider as an example the motion of an object from an initial position x1 = 5 m to
x = 200 m and then back to x2 = 5 m. Even though the total distance covered is 390
m the displacement then is x = 0.

Displacement
Displacement is a vector quantity that has both magnitude and direction. In this
restricted one-dimensional motion the direction is described by the algebraic sign of
x.

Displacement is positive.

Displacement is negative.

Average Velocity
Speed: how far an object travels in a given time interval.

Velocity: includes directional information

One method of describing the motion of an object is to plot its position x (t) as a function of time t. In the
left picture we plot x versus t for an object that is stationary with respect to the chosen origin O. Notice
that x is constant. In the picture to the right we plot x versus t for a moving armadillo. We can get an
idea of how fast the armadillo moves from one position x1 at time t1 to a new position x2 at time t2 by
determining the average velocity between t1 and t2.

vavg

x2 x1 x

t2 t1 t

Instantaneous Velocity

The instantaneous velocity is the

average velocity, in the limit as the
time interval becomes infinitesimally
short.

These graphs show (a) constant

velocity and (b) varying velocity.

Acceleration
Acceleration is : the rate of change of velocity.

Acceleration is a vector, although in one-dimensional motion we only need the sign.

Motion in constant acceleration

The average velocity of an object during a time interval t
is

The acceleration, assumed constant, is

In addition, as the velocity is increasing at a constant rate,

we know that

Combining these last three equations, we find:

Motion at Constant Acceleration

We can also combine these equations so as to eliminate t:
We now have all the equations we need to solve constant-acceleration
problems.

Motion at Constant Acceleration

Motion with a = 0 is a special case but it is rather common, so we will develop the equations that
describe it.

dv
dv adt. If we integrate both sides of the equation we get:
dt

dv adt a dt v at C.

Here C is the integration constant.

C can be determined if we know the velocity v0 v(0) at t 0:

v(0) v0 (a)(0) C C v0 v v0 at

(eq. 1)

dx
v
dx vdt v0 at dt v0 dt atdt. If we integrate both sides we get:
dt
at 2
dx v0 dt a tdt x v0t 2 C . Here C is the integration constant.
C can be determined if we know the position xo x(0) at t 0:
a
x(0) xo (v0 )(0) (0) C C xo
2
at 2
x(t ) xo v0t
(eq. 2)
2

Graphical Integration in Motion Analysis (nonconstant acceleration)

When the acceleration of a moving object is not constant we must use
integration to determine the velocity v (t ) and the position x (t ) of the object.
The integration can be done either using the analytic or the graphical approach:
t

1
1
1
1
dv
a
dv adt dv adt v1 v0 adt v1 v0 adt
dt
t0
t0
t0
t0

t1

adt

Area under the a versus t curve between t0 and t1

t0

1
1
dx
v
dx vdt dx vdt
dt
t0
t0

t1

t1

t0

t0

x1 x0 vdt x1 x0 vdt
t1

vdt

to

Area under the v versus t curve between t0 and t1

v v0 at

(eq. 1) ;

If we eliminate the time t

v 2 v02 2a x x0

at 2
x x0 v0t
(eq. 2)
2
between equation 1 and equation 2 we get:

(eq. 3)

Below we plot the position x (t ), the velocity v(t ), and the acceleration a versus time t:

at 2
x x0 v0t
2
The x(t) versus t plot is a parabola that intercepts the vertical axis
at x = x0.

v v0 at
The v(t) versus t plot is a straight line with slope = a and intercept = v0.

The acceleration a is a constant.

How to solve Problems?

1. Read the whole problem and make sure you understand it. Then read it again.

2. Decide on the objects under study and what the time interval is.
3. Draw a diagram and choose coordinate axes.
4. Write down the known (given) quantities, and then the unknown ones that you
need to find.
5. What physics applies here? Plan an approach to a solution.
6. Which equations relate the known and unknown quantities? Are they valid in this
situation? Solve algebraically for the unknown quantities, and check that your result
is sensible (correct dimensions).
7. Calculate the solution and round it to the appropriate number of significant figures.
8. Look at the result is it reasonable? Does it agree with a rough estimate?
9. Check the units again.

Falling Objects

Near the surface of the Earth, all objects

experience
approximately
the
same
acceleration due to gravity.

In the absence of air resistance, all objects

fall with the same acceleration, although this
may be hard to tell by testing in an
environment where there is air resistance.

Free Fall
Close to the surface of the Earth all objects move toward the center of the Earth with an
acceleration whose magnitude is constant and equal to 9.8 m/s2. We use the symbol g to indicate
the acceleration of an object in free fall.
If we take the y-axis to point upward then the
acceleration of an object in free fall a = -g and the
equations for free fall take the form:

v v0 gt

(eq. 1)

gt 2
x xo v0t
(eq. 2)
2
v 2 v02 2 g x xo
(eq. 3)
Note: Even though with this choice of axes a < 0, the
velocity can be positive (upward motion from point A to
point B). It is momentarily zero at point B. The velocity
becomes negative on the downward motion from point
B
to
point
A.
Hint: In a kinematics problem, always indicate the axis
as well as the acceleration vector.
This simple
precaution helps to avoid algebraic sign errors.

Projectile Motion
A projectile is an object moving
in two dimensions under the
influence of Earth's gravity; its
path is a parabola.

It can be understood by analyzing

the horizontal and vertical motions
separately.

Projectile Motion

The speed in the x-direction is

constant; in the y-direction the object
moves with constant acceleration g.
This photograph shows two balls that
start to fall at the same time. The
one on the right has an initial speed
in the x-direction. It can be seen that
vertical positions of the two balls are
identical at identical times, while the
horizontal position of the yellow ball
increases linearly.

Projectile Motion
If an object is launched at an initial angle of 0 with the horizontal, the analysis is similar
except that the initial velocity has a vertical component.

Solving Problems Involving Projectile Motion

Projectile motion is motion with constant acceleration in two dimensions, where
the acceleration is g and is down.

Examples
Example (1)
Suppose the velocity vx of car at any time (t) is given by equation: vx=60 m/s+( 0.50 m/s3 ) t2
Find the change in velocity of the car in the time interval between t1=1.0 s and t2=3.0 s.
Find the average acceleration in this time interval.
Find the instantaneous acceleration at t1=1.0 s by taking t to be first 0.1s then 0.01s then 0.001s.
Derive an expression for instantaneous acceleration at any time, and use it to find acceleration at t = 1.0 s
and t= 3.0 s.
Example (2)
A motorcyclist heading east through a small Iowa city accelerates after he passes the signpost marking the
city limits. It is acceleration is a constant (4.0 m/s^2).
At time t =0 s he is 5.0 m east of the signpost, moving east at 15 m/s.
Find his position and velocity at time t=2.0 s.
Where is the motorcyclist when his velocity is 25 m/s?
Example (3)
A race car starts from rest and travels east along a straight and level track. For the first 5.0 s of the cars
motion, the eastward component of the cars velocity is given by vx(t) = 0.860 m/s3 t2. What is the
acceleration of the car when vx (t) =16.0 m/s.