Reading Assignment

Chapter 2 by Tuesday
Position Vector

35 miles SW
 Displacement Vector
!
r1

!
Displacement r
Vector !
35 miles SW
r0

Displacement vector is the change of position.

denotes change in physics.

 Vector Addition
! !
A+ B
Put the tail of one vector at the head of the other.
Then connect the ends.

! !
A B

! !
A B
! !
A+ B
 Vector Addition
!
r1

! !
r r0

New position is the sum of original position plus displacement.

! ! !
r1 = r0 + r
Displacement vector is the change of position.
! ! !
r = r1 r0
 Vector Subtraction
Subtracting is the same as adding the negative.
! ! ! !
A B = A + ( B)
 Vector Subtraction
Subtracting is the same as adding the negative.
! ! ! !
A B = A + ( B)

! !
A B

!
B
! !
A B
!
A
Displacement Vectors and Motion Diagrams

Displacement Vectors
 Displacement Vectors (2D)

Vectors are straight!

 Velocity
Displacement is change in position (in meters)
! ! !
r = r1 r0
Velocity is change in position over time (in meters/s)
!
! r
v=
t
Time is a scalar, not a vector. Velocity is in the same
direction as displacement (with different units).
!
! ! r
r v=
t
Velocity Vectors

!
! r3
v3 =
t 3
!
! r2
v2 =
t 2
 Completing the Motion Description

! ! !
Displacement vector = change in position r = r0 r1

!
! r
Velocity vector = rate of change in position v=
t

!
! v
Acceleration vector = rate of change in velocity a=
t
 Acceleration Vectors
! ! !
! v v3 v2
a= =
t t 3 t 2
!
v3
Vector Subtraction
! ! !
v3 v2 Notice: Final - Initial
Always! a !
v2
!
! v2
v3 !
a
 Coordinate Systems

Specify an origin to define zero.

Label x- and y-axes to indicate positive directions.

! !
v1 v2
(0,0) x

Think carefully about axes

y x
Origin at start
One axis along motion
 Vector Signs

Vector is positive if it points in the positive direction.

0 10 20 x
 Vector Signs (Position)

Vector is positive if it points in the positive direction.

Position vector (starts at origin). So positive position is

when object is on positive side of axes.

0 10 20 x
 Vector Signs (Velocity)

Velocity vector positive if moving toward larger

numbers
Position can be negative

!
v1
-10 0 10 x
 Vector Signs (Acceleration)
Acceleration is positive if positive velocity getting
larger or negative velocity decreasing
! !
v3 v4

Acceleration vector is pointing in the positive direction.

! !
v2 v1

Acceleration vector is pointing in the positive direction.

 Acceleration vs. Deceleration

Acceleration is a general term describing the rate

of change of velocity.
Can describe speeding up or slowing down.
Deceleration is just when the acceleration vector points in
the opposite direction of the velocity (as below).

! !
v2 v1
 Example (Ball thrown straight up)

What is direction of the acceleration on the

Up Down way up?
! ! ! !
v3 v4 v2 v1
! !
v2 v5
! ! What is the acceleration on the way down?
v1 v6 !
v6 !
v5
! !
v0 v7
!
What is the acceleration at the top?
v4
!
v3
 Plots (vs. Time)

0 10 20 x

x Find magnitude of
20 position vector at each
time interval and plot it.
10

t
v
Find magnitude of velocity
vector at each time
interval and plot it.

t
 Plots (vs. Time)
Connect the dots and we get a continuous function.
Analyzing these curves (with calculus) will take up the next
couple of lectures (Ch. 2)

t
v

t
Summary (Motion Diagrams)

0 10 20 x

!
Position vectors r

! ! !
Displacement vectors r = r1 r0
!
! r
Velocity vectors v=
t
!
! v
Acceleration vectors a=
t
 Average Velocity
!
! r
v=
t

r x
vavg = =
t t

Average velocity is the slope of the position vs. time curve

between two points.
Instantaneous Velocity
 Instantaneous Velocity

Imagine decreasing t
In the limit that t 0, we obtain the instantaneous velocity
at a single instant

tangent
 Instantaneous Velocity
s ds
vs = lim =
t0 t dt

The instantaneous velocity is the derivative of the position

vs. time plot, s(t).
Instantaneous velocity is the slope of the position vs. time
curve at a single point

Note: s(t) is a generic position axes: could be x, y, z, or

combination of them.
 Derivatives
Example:
du
u = ct n
= nct n1
s = 3t + t + 4
2
dt
ds
v= =?
dt
du
u=c =0
dt
v = 6t + 1

d du dw
(u + w) = +
dt dt dt
 Pick the easy points (extrema,
Examples slope=0) and connect the dots

Position vs. Time

Velocity vs. Time

t