KINEMATICS

Lesson 3 and 4
 Example 1
Would you describe the motion shown in the position-time graph as uniform or non-uniform?
Explain.

Non-uniform motion
The distance covered per time interval is
not the same.
What information can you infer from the position-time
graph?

 Position of the object at any particular time

 Gradient of the graph indicates the instantaneous
velocity.

Positve vs Negative gradient

Positive gradient  suggests that the object is moving

in the positive direction

Negative gradient  suggests that the object is

moving in the negative direction.
Example 2
Two cars drive to a town from the same starting position, and reach at the same time.
(a) How does the speed of Car A change as it travels towards the town?
How can you tell?

Car A has a constant speed throughout its journey. The

position-time graph of Car A is a straight line graph / for the
same time interval, Car A travels the same distance.

(a) How does the speed of Car B change as it travels towards the town?
How can you tell?

Car B’s speed increases throughout its journey. For the same
time interval, B covers more distance as time increases.

(a) Determine the average speed of Car A and Car B throughout the
journey. How do they compare?

∆𝒙 200
𝒗= = = 57.1 𝑘𝑚/ℎ
∆𝒕 3.50

They are the same as they travel the same distance in the same
time period.
 Describe the motion of the object.
Position / m

time / s
 Describe the motion of the object.
Position / m

time / s
 Describe the motion of the object.
Position / m

time / s
Instantaneous Velocity
The instantaneous velocity of an object is its velocity at a single instant of time t.

Average Velocity
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕
𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 =
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆
Example 3
The position-time graph of an object is given on the right. 2 students calculated the instantaneous
velocity at t = 3 s.

Student 1: v = x/t = 16/3 = 5.3 cm/s

Student 2:
Use the tangent method to find the slope of the graph at
t = 3 s.
Slope = (y2 – y1)/ (x2 – x1) = (20 - 10) / (5 – 0) = +2 cm/s

Who is right? What does each of their calculated

value mean?

Student 2 is right.

Average velocity= 5.3 cm/s ;

Example 4 In which of the regions between
lettered points on the position-time
graph below:
* is the motion slowest?
Between C & D. Slope is the gentlest
(magnitude of the slope is the least)
there.
* is the object speeding up?
Between D –E and I-J. (Magnitude of the
slope is increasing in the interval.)
* is the object slowing down?
Between B-C & F - I. Magnitude of the
slope is decreasing in the interval.
* is the object turning around?
Between C-D. Between this interval is the
point where the displacement starts
decreasing.
Example 5
Answer the following questions by carefully examining the position-time graphs below.

(a) Give an example of a time when the instantaneous velocity

x/m of one of the objects is zero.
t = 6 s, where gradient of the curve is zero.

(b) Which object's speed is larger at t = 13 s?

The object described by the curved line. The gradient
of the curve is higher than that of the straight line at t
= 13 s.

(c) Which object's speed is larger at t = 18 s?

The object described by the curved line. The gradient
of the curve is higher than that of the straight line at t
= 18 s.

(d) At what time do the objects have the same velocity?

t = 9.5 s

t/s (e) How far apart are the objects when they have the same e
velocity?
(150 – 60) = 90 m
VELOCITY –TIME GRAPH
 VELOCITY- TIME GRAPH
Velocity / m s-1

1. Read the values of velocity of the object.

• To determine the direction of the object, look
at the sign of velocity.

2. Gradient = instantaneous acceleration

3. Area under the graph = displacement

time / s
 ACCELERATION
• the rate of change of velocity

v v f  vi
aave  
t t
• increase/decrease in velocity per unit time
• SI unit :m s-2
• Vector quantity
 ACCELERATION
• What does it mean when the acceleration of a
moving object is 4 m/s2?
• It means its velocity is increasing by 4.0 m s-1 for
every 1.0 s

Time /s Velocity / ms-1

0 0
1 4
2 8
3 12
4 16
a) Person is stationary (not b) Person is moving at constant
moving) speed (uniform motion)

c) Person is accelerating d) Person is decelerating

(moving with increasing (moving with decreasing speed)
speed)
Increasing Length – increasing speed (accelerating)

Decreasing Length – decreasing speed (decelerating)

MOTION GRAPHS
 VELOCITY- TIME GRAPH
Velocity / m s-1
Is the acceleration constant ?

What is the object doing?

Object moves in the

positive direction with
increasing speed
Gradient of slope = +ve

time / s

Object moves in the

negative direction with
decreasing speed
Gradient of slope = +ve
 MEANING OF +VE/-VE ACCELERATION
• Direction of the acceleration vector depends on two
factors:
 Whether object is speeding up or slowing down
 Whether object is moving in positive (+) or negative (–)
direction
+ve
 MEANING OF +VE/-VE
ACCELERATION
Direction Speeding/ Resultant
Slowing down acceleration
Negative direction Speeding (v ) negative

Positive direction Speeding (v ) positive

Negative direction Slowing down (v ) positive

Positive direction Slowing down (v ) negative
(a)Constant velocity in positive direction ( A )
(b) Constant velocity in negative direction ( E )
(c) Positive velocity and positive acceleration (speeds up) ( B )
(d) Positive velocity and negative acceleration (slows down) ( C )
(e) Negative velocity and positive acceleration (slows down), then positive velocity
and positive acceleration (speeds up) ( D )
What is the gradient of the graph? (Indicate clearly the
points used for calculation)
Gradient = (y2 – y1) / (x2 – x1)
= (25.0 – 0.0) / (5.00 – 0.00)
= 5.00 ms-2

(b) What does the gradient of the velocity-time graph tell

us?
Gradient of a velocity against time graph tells us
that the velocity changes by 5.00 m/s every s.

(c) What does the straight line in the velocity-time graph

imply about the motion?

It implies that the acceleration is uniform (same

magnitude and direction throughout the journey).

* Recall: What does a straight line in the position-time

graph imply about motion?
It implies that velocity is uniform (same magnitude
and direction throughout the journey).
Example 8
A car’s velocity increases from rest to 14.0 m/s in 3.5 s. What is its acceleration? What is its acceleration if it
next slows down to 7.0 m/s in 2.0 s?

v v f  vi 14  0
a    4.0ms  2
t t 3.5

v v f  vi 7  14
a    3.5ms  2
t t 2.0
Example 9
A bus is moving at 25.0 m/s when the driver steps on the brakes and brings the bus to a stop in 3.0 s.

(a) What is the average acceleration of the bus while braking?

v v f  vi 0  25
a    8.3ms  2
t t 3.0

(b) If the bus took twice as long to stop, how would the acceleration compare to what you have found in part (a)?

It would be half of that found in part a.

 Example 10
A bus that is travelling at 30.0 km/h speeds up at a constant rate of 3.5
m/s2. What is its velocity 6.8 s later?

v f  vi  a  t
= 30.0 km/h + 3.5 m/s2 x 6.8 s
= 30.0 x 1000 m / 3600 s + 24 m/s
= 32 m/s
Example 11
If a car accelerates from rest at a constant 5.5 m/s 2, how long will it take for the car to reach a
velocity of 28.0 m/s?

v f  vi  a  t
28.0 = 0 + 5.5 x Δt
Δt = 5.0909 ≈ 5.1 s
 (position- time graph)

Position position position

+x +x
+x

time 0 time
0
0 time

-x -x
-x

Uniform increase in Increasing rate of

At rest at fixed position
displacement with time change of displacement

Negative gradient : means the v-t graph will lie in the

negative region

Positive gradient : means the v-t graph will lie in the

positive region
 V- t Graphs
 Velocity - time graph
velocity velocity
velocity

+x +x
+x

time 0 time
0
0 time

-x -x
-x

Constant velocity Uniform increase in Increasing rate of

Zero acceleration velocity, Constant change of Velocity,
acceleration increasing acceleration
 VELOCITY-TIME GRAPH
Velocity, v / ms-1
∆𝑥
From 𝑣 = :
∆𝑡
∆𝑥 = 𝑣 × ∆𝑡

• Area under velocity-time

graph
v
= 𝑣 × ∆𝑡
= ∆𝑥
= displacement

Time, t / s
∆t
 VELOCITY-TIME GRAPH
Velocity, v / ms-1
∆𝑥
From 𝑣 = :
∆𝑡
∆𝑥 = 𝑣 × ∆𝑡
𝑣𝑖 + 𝑣𝑓
∆𝑥 = ∆𝑡
𝑣𝑓 2

𝑣𝑖

• Area under velocity-time

graph
= area of trapezium
1
= 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑣𝑓 × ∆𝑡
2
Time, t / s = displacement
∆t
 CONSTANT ACCELERATION

1
∆𝑥= 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑣𝑓 × ∆𝑡
2
Example 12
The graph shows the velocity-time graph of a car. Find the acceleration and the distance traveled during
each stage of the movement.

Stage Acceleration Displacement

0-A 40 m/s2 0.5 x 40 x 1.0 = 20 m

A-B 20 m/s2 0.5 x (40 + 100) x 3.0 = 210 m

B-C -20 m/s2 0.5 x 100 x 5.0 = 250 m

C-D
-20 m/s2 0.5 x [0+ (-60)] x 3.0 = -90 m
Example 13
A car accelerates from 6.0 m/s to 20.0 m/s over a distance of 50.0 m. What is its acceleration?

vi  v f
∆x = ( )t
2

50.0 = 0.5 x (6.0+20.0) x Δt,

Δt = 100/26.0 s

v v f  vi 20  6
a    3.64ms 2
t t (100 / 26)
 HOME WORK
• Complete Example 14-17 Lesson Notes
• Learning Catalytics Online assignment

- Glencoe: Kinematics

- Pre-Reading: Free fall