PHYS 1441 – Section 004

Lecture #4 Kinematics
Monday, Jan. 29, 2007
http://www.uta.edu/physics/main/faculty/fry/

• Chapter two: Motion in one

dimension
– Acceleration (average and
instantaneous)
– One dimensional motion at constant
acceleration
– Coordinate systems

January 29, 2007 1

 Instantaneous Velocity
and Speed
• Can average quantities tell you the
detailed story of the whole motion?
• Instantaneous velocity is defined
v = lim
∆x dx
=x

as: ∆t dt Δt →0

– What does this mean?

• Displacement in an infinitesimal time
interval
•Instantaneous
• Mathematically: speed
Slope ofisthe
the size
position
variation as a function of time
(magnitude) of thev =velocity
∆x dx vector:
*Magnitude of
x = lim ∆t
Δt →0 dt Vectors are
Expressed in
absolute values
January 29, 2007 2
 Position vs Time Plot
Position It is useful to
understand motions to
draw them on position
x1 vs time plots.
1 2 3

x=0 time
t=0 t1 t2 t3
• Running at a constant velocity (go from x=0 to
x=x1 in t1, Displacement is + x1 in t1 time
interval)
• Velocity is 0 (go from x1 to x1 no matter how
much time changes)
• Running atDoes
a constant velocity
this motion but in the reverse
physically
direction asmake
1. (go from x1 to x=0 in t3-t2 time
sense?
January 29, 2007 3
interval, Displacement is - x1 in t3-t2 time
 Instantaneous Velocity

Instantaneous Velocity

Average Velocity

Time

January 29, 2007 4

 Displacement, Velocity
and Speed
Displaceme ∆x ≡ xf − xi
nt xf − xi ∆x
Average vx ≡ =
tf − ti ∆t
velocity
Total Distance Traveled
Average v≡
Total Time Spent
speed
∆x dx
Instantaneous vx = lim =
∆t dt
Δt →0
velocity
∆x dx
Instantaneous vx = lim
Δt →0 ∆t
=
dt
speed
January 29, 2007 5
 Acceleration
nge of velocity in time (what kind of quantity is this?
•Average acceleration:
vxf  vxi vx xf  xi x
ax   compare to
vx  
t f  ti t tf  ti t

•Instantaneous acceleration:
2
vx dvx d  dx  d x x dx
ax  lim
Δt 0 t
    analogs to
 2
dt dt  dt  dt
vx  lim
Δt →0

t dt

• In calculus terms: A slope

(derivative) of velocity with respect
to time or change of slopes of
position as a function of time
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 Example 2.4
A car accelerates along a straight road from rest
to 75km/h in 5.0s.

(km / h)

What is the magnitude of its average

acceleration?
vxi  0 m / s vxf  vxi vx 21 − 0 21
ax  
t
= = = 4.2(m / s 2 )
t f  ti 5 .0 5 .0
vxf  75000m
3600 s
 21 m / s
=
4.2 × ( 3600 )
2
= 5.4 ×10 4 (km / h 2 )
1000
January 29, 2007 7
 Example for Acceleration
v
• Velocity, vx, is express (t )
x in:  40  5t 2
m/s  
• Find average acceleration in time
vxi (ti  0) t=0
interval, 40( mto
/ s )t=2.0s

vxf (t f  2.0)   40  5  2.0 2   20( m / s )

vxf  vxi vx 20  40
ax     10( m / s 2 )
t f  ti t 2.0  0

ind instantaneous acceleration at any time t and t=

Instantan ax (t  2.0)
dvx d
eous ax  t   
dt dt
 
40  5t 2  10t Instantane
ous
Accelerati  10  (2.0)
on at any Acceleratio
time n at time  20(m / s 2 )
t=2.0s
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 Meanings of Acceleration
• When an object is moving in a constant
velocity (v=v0), there is no acceleration (a=0)
– Is there any acceleration when an object is not
moving?
• If acceleration is positive (a>0) the velocity
must be positive
– Incorrect, since the object might be moving in
negative direction initially
• If acceleration is negative (a<0) the velocity
must be negative
– Incorrect, since the object might be moving in
positive direction initially
• In all cases, velocity is positive, unless the
direction of the movement The answer is YES!!
changes.
– Incorrect, since the object might be moving in
January 29, 2007 9
negative direction initially