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=
A
A
=
t
v v
t
v
a
i f
2
v u +
=
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 15
v final velocity (sometimes, v
f
)
u initial velocity (sometimes, v
0
or v
i
)
a constant acceleration
g gravitational acceleration
s displacement
t time
Symbols Descriptions
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Derivation of the equations of motion
Consider an object with constant acceleration a,
initial position x
0
, initial velocity v
0
.
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(ii) Find the displacement after time t. The average
velocity is
The displacement, Ax, is then
2
0
v v
v
ave
+
=
( )t v v t v x
ave
+ = = A
0
2
1
2
0
2
1
at t v x + = A
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 18
(iii) From the definition of a, we have
Substitute into:
( )
a
v v
t
0
=
2
0
2
1
at t v x + = A
2
0 0
0
2
1
|
.
|
\
|
+
|
.
|
\
|
= A
a
v v
a
a
v v
v x
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 19
Equations of motion with
constant acceleration
2
2 2
2
1
2
2
at ut s
t
v u
t v s
as u v
at u v
ave
+ =
+
= =
+ =
+ =
15/02/2014 17:57 EPF0014 PHYSICS I 20
Examples:
1. If u = 8 m/s, a = 3 m/s
2
, what is the final velocity, v, after 2 s?
v = u + a t = 8 + 3(2) = 14 m/s
Is the object speeding up or slowing down? Speeding up, because ,v, > ,u,
2. If u = 8 m/s, a = 3 m/s
2
, what is the final velocity, v, after 2 s?
v = u + a t = 8 + (3)(2) = 2 m/s
Is the object speeding up or slowing down? Slowing down, because ,v, < ,u,
3. If u = 8 m/s, a = 3 m/s
2
, what is the final velocity, v, after 2 s?
v = u + a t = 8 + 3(2) = 2 m/s
Is the object speeding up or slowing down?
4. If u = 8 m/s, a = 3 m/s
2
, what is the final velocity, v, after 2 s?
v = u + a t = 8 + (3)(2) = 14 m/s
Is the object speeding up or slowing down? Speeding up, because ,v, > ,u,
Slowing down, because ,v, < ,u,
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 21
A natural example is free fall in the
approximately uniform gravitational field
close to the surface of the Earth.
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15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 22
Free Fall
Gravitational acceleration is always downwards no matter which
direction the object is moving.
Whether it is positive or negative depends on the reference frame or
reference point. If we take upwards to be the positive direction, then
the gravitational acceleration is always negative, i.e. 9.81 m/s
2
.
The quantity that changes is the velocity. The velocity is positive
when the object is moving upwards, zero at the highest position
and negative when it is moving downwards.
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Free Fall
Direction/position
of object
Velocity
Gravitational
acceleration
Description of
Motion
Upwards
Highest point
Downwards
positive negative Slowing down
zero
negative
negative negative
Changing direction
Speeding up
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Equations of motion for free fall
(taking upwards to be positive direction)
2
2 2
2
1
2
gt ut s
gs u v
gt u v
=
=
=
where g = +9.81 m/s
2
2
2 2
2
1
2
gt ut s
gs u v
gt u v
+ =
+ =
+ =
where g = 9.81 m/s
2
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 25
Equations of motion with
constant acceleration
2
2 2
2
1
2
at ut s
as u v
at u v
+ =
+ =
+ =
For free fall, a = 9.81 m/s
2
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Graphical analysis
Graphical representation of linear motion.
x
t
Object not moving
x
t
Object moving with constant velocity.
Slope of graph,
velocity =
dt
dx
Position, x vs time, t.
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Graphical analysis
x
t
x
t
Increasing velocity
decreasing velocity
Position, x vs time, t.
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Graphical analysis
Graphical representation of linear motion.
v
t
Constant velocity
v
t
Object moving with constant acceleration.
Slope of graph,
on accelerati =
dt
dv
velocity, v vs time, t.
Positive acceleration
negative acceleration
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Graphical analysis
v
t
v
t
Increasing acceleration
decreasing acceleration
velocity, v vs time, t.
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Graphical analysis
Graphical representation of linear motion.
a
t
Object moving with constant acceleration.
acceleration, a vs time, t.
Positive acceleration
negative acceleration
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Increasing velocity,
Constant acceleration
Constant acceleration
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Increasing velocity,
Non-constant (increasing) acceleration
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From the graph you can obtain two very
important information for analysis
purposes.
gradient
area under the graph
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Velocity - time graph
A v
A t
t
t A
A
=
v
Gradient
v
= acceleration
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Area under graph =
= displacement
t
ut +
( ) t u v
2
1
( )
2
2
1
t
t
u v
ut
+ =
2
2
1
t a ut + =
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 36
gradient
area under the graph
displacement:
For velocity - time graph
acceleration
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Exercise:
An ball is thrown upwards from ground level.
Plot a) the position vs time b) velocity vs time and c) the acceleration vs time graphs of the
ball as it moves upwards until it falls back to the ground.
Take upwards direction to be positive and ground level position to be zero.
(a)
x
0 t
(b)
v
0 t
(c)
a
0 t
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 38
Exercise:
An ball is thrown upwards from ground level.
Plot a) the position vs time b) velocity vs time and c) the acceleration vs time graphs of the
ball as it moves upwards until it falls back to the ground.
Take downwards direction to be positive and ground level position to be zero.
(a)
x
0 t
(b)
v
0 t
(c)
a
0 t
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 39
Vector quantity is a quantity that has both the
magnitude and direction.
Examples: Displacement, velocity, acceleration,
force.
Scalar quantity is a quantity with
magnitude only.
Examples: Distance, speed, mass, energy.
Vectors and Scalars
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Distance is a scalar quantity which refers to "how
much ground an object has covered" during its motion.
Displacement is a vector quantity which refers to
"how far out of place an object is"; it is the object's
overall change in position.
taken time
distance total
Speed=
taken time
nt displaceme total
velocity=
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Examples
A car starts from rest and accelerates at a constant rate in a straight line. In the
first second the car covers a distance of 2.0 m.
a) How fast will the car be moving at the end of 2 s?
b) How far does the car moves during the second s of its motion?
m 0 . 2 , s 1 , 0 = = = s t u
2
2
1
at ut s + =
( )
2
1
2
1
0 2 a + =
2
2
m/s 4
s 1
m 2 2
=
= a
at u v + = a)
( )( ) 2 4 0 + =
m/s 8 =
2
2
1
b) at ut s + =
( )( )
2
2 4
2
1
0+ = m 8 =
During second s, it moves 8 m 2 m = 6 m
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 42
Example
A ball is dropped from rest from a tower and strikes the ground 125 m
below. Approximately how many seconds does it take the ball to strike the
ground after being dropped? Neglect air resistance.
5.05 s
? t s , . a , u = = = = m, 125 81 9 0
2
2
1
at ut s + =
( )
2
81 . 9
2
1
0 125 t + =
( )
s 05 . 5
81 . 9
125 2
=
= t
( )
2
81 . 9
2
1
0 125 t + =
( )
s 05 . 5
81 . 9
125 2
= = t
? t s , . a , u = + = + = = m, 125 81 9 0
15/02/2014 17:57 FAP0015 PHYSICS I 43
Example
A ball is shot straight up from the surface of the earth with an initial speed of
19.6 m/s. Neglect any effects due to air resistance.
(a) What is the magnitude of the balls displacement from the starting point after
1.00 second has elapsed?
(b) What maximum height will the ball reach?
(c) How much time elapses between the throwing of the ball and its return to
the original launch point?
Ans: 14.7 m, 19.6 m, 4.00 s