Motion, Speed, and

Acceleration
Linear Motion
-
Motion Along a Line
Defining Motion

Speed and Velocity

 Consider the Following
 Right
now, this very instance, are
you moving?
 The Earth in Space
 Earth rotates around its axis at: 1,043 mph
 Earth revolves around the sun at: 66,660 mph
 Solar system moves toward Vega at: 43,200
mph
 Solar system revolves around the Milky Way
Galaxy at: 489,600 mph
 The Milky Way Galaxy moves toward
Andromeda at: 180,000 mph
 The Local Group is pulled toward the Local
Supercluster at: 540,000 mph
 What’s it Mean?

Relative to some point in space

you are moving approximately
1,320,503 mph or 367 miles
every second!
But, are you moving relative to
the classroom?
 Motion - Definitions
 Motion is relative
 Motion: Occurs when an object
changes its position relative to a
reference point
 Distance: How far an object has
moved
 Speed
 Speed – the distance an object
travels per unit of time
 Speed – a change in distance over
time also called a rate
 Rate – any change over time
 Speed = distance / time s=d/t
 Types of Speed
 Speed that doesn’t change over time is
called constant speed
 Speed is usually not constant in our
day-to-day lives most objects have a
changing speed because of other
forces acting on them
 Average speed = total distance / total
time (computed)
 Instantaneous speed – speed at a
given point in time (measured)
 Speed vs. Velocity
 What is the difference between
speed and velocity?
 To answer this we need to
understand “different kinds of
numbers”
 Numbers – Two types
 Scalars
 Common numbers we use everyday
 Scalars give us an amount

 Vectors
 Like scalars they show an amount
 Unlike scalars they show direction
 Speed with Direction
 Velocity is speed with direction
 What type of “number” do we call
velocity?
 Velocity can be fast or slow just like
speed only a direction is added
 Movement to the right or up is
positive and left or down is negative
 Distance vs. Displacement
 Distance – how far an object has
moved
 Displacement – distance and
direction from a starting point
 Questions
 Can you have a negative speed?
 Can you have a negative velocity?
 Is distance a vector or a scalar?
 How about displacement?
 What is the relationship between
distance and displacement?
 Acceleration

Changing Velocity
 Acceleration
 When an object changes speed or
direction, it is acceleration – this is
an important point!
 Why is going around a curve at the
same speed acceleration?
 Calculating Acceleration
 Acceleration = change in velocity
/time
 Change in velocity = final velocity –
initial velocity

VF-VI
TΔt
F-TI
 Acceleration
 Dothe math – units of acceleration
are in meters per second per
second or meters per second
squared – m/s2
 Showing Motion

Distance, Velocity and

Acceleration Graphs
 Showing Motion
 Distance – time graph displays the
motion of an object over time
 Distance is the dependant variable
 Distance goes on the vertical axis
 Time is the independent variable so
it is placed on the horizontal axis
 Example
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 Key Points
 Make sure you are working with a
Distance/Time Graph
 Distance is the y axis or rise
 Time is the x axis or run
 Slope = rise/run or distance/time
therefore, slope = velocity
 “+” slope = moving right, “-” slope =
moving left
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Velocity vs. Time
 Example
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Meters per Second

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 Question
 What does the slope of a
velocity/time graph represent?
 What does the area under a
velocity/time graph represent?

d=vit + ½at2
 Key Points
 Make sure you are working with a
velocity/time graph
 Slope = rise/run or velocity/time
therefore, Slope = acceleration
 “+” slope = accelerating right, “-” slope
= accelerating left
 Acceleration units are m/s2
 Area under graph is the distance
traveled
 Freefall
 All
objects near earth’s surface
accelerate downward at 9.8 m/s2
Known as g
Ignores air resistance
ALL objects accelerate at the
same rate
v=gt and d=½gt2