Topic 2
Kinematics
Dr Anees Ahmad Bangash
Section II: Newtonian Mechanics
2. Kinematics
Content
2.1 Speed, velocity and acceleration
2.2 Graphical analysis of motion
2.3 Free-fall
Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) state what is meant by speed and velocity.
(b) recall and use average speed = distance travelled/time taken.
(c) state what is meant by uniform acceleration and recall and use acceleration = change in velocity/time taken.
(d) discuss non-uniform acceleration.
(e) recall that deceleration is a negative acceleration.
(f) *plot and *interpret speed–time and distance–time graphs.
(g) *recognise from the shape of a speed–time graph when a body is
(1) at rest,
(2) moving with uniform speed,
(3) moving with uniform acceleration,
(4) moving with non-uniform acceleration.
(h) calculate the area under a speed–time graph to determine the distance travelled for motion with uniform
speed or uniform acceleration.
(i) state that the acceleration of free-fall for a body near to the Earth is constant and is approximately 10 m / s2.
(j) describe qualitatively the motion of bodies with constant weight falling with and without air resistance
(including reference to terminal velocity).
In this topic we have on focus on five quantities namely, distance, displacement,
velocity, acceleration and time.
Speed: it is defined as the distance travelled per unit time.
speed =
• Average speed = • Velocity: velocity is the distance travelled in
unit time in a particular direction.
•
• Velocity=
• Formula for both speed and
velocity and speed is same i.e • Or it can be defined as the distance
travelled in particular direction per unit
• V= time.
• Velocity=
• Or velocity= speed X direction
• Uniform velocity, When an object travels equal displacement in equal of time, it is
said to be moving with uniform velocity.
• non‐uniform velocity : When an object moves unequal displacement in equal
interval of time or equal displacement in unequal intervals, it is moving with non
uniform velocity.
Practice: [Link] is the average speed of
• a car that travels 400 m in 20 s,
• b an athlete who runs 1500 m in 4 minutes?
• 2 A train increases its speed steadily from 10 m/s to 20 m/s in 1 minute.
• a What is its average speed during this time, in m/s?
• b How far does it travel while increasing its speed?
• 4 An aircraft travelling at 600 km/h accelerates steadily at 10 km/h per second.
Taking the speed of sound as
• 1100 km/h at the aircraft’s altitude, how long will it take to reach the ‘sound
barrier’?
Acceleration is defined as the change in velocity in unit time, or
Acceleration is also a vector and both its magnitude and direction should be stated. However, at
present we will consider only motion in a straight line and so the magnitude of the velocity will equal
the speed, and the magnitude of the acceleration will equal the change of speed in unit time.
An acceleration is positive if the velocity increases, and negative if it decreases. A negative acceleration is also
called a deceleration or retardation.
Exercise:
1 What is the average speed of
a a car that travels 400 m in 20 s
b an athlete who runs 1500 m in 4 minutes?
2 A train increases its speed steadily from 10 m/s to 20 m/s in 1 minute.
a What is its average speed during this time, in m/s?
b How far does it travel while increasing its speed?
3 a A motorcyclist starts from rest and reaches a speed of 6 m/s after travelling with constant
acceleration for 3 s. What is his acceleration?
b The motorcyclist then decelerates at a constant rate for 2 s. What is his acceleration?
4 An aircraft travelling at 600 km/h accelerates steadily at 10 km/h per second. Taking the speed of
sound as 1100 km/h at the aircraft’s altitude, how long will it take to reach the ‘sound barrier’?
Distance–time graphs
An object travelling with constant speed covers equal distances in equal times. Its distance–time graph is
a straight line, like OL in Figure for a constant speed of 10 m/s. The gradient of the graph is LM/OM 40 m/4 s
10 m/s, which is the value of the speed. The following statement is true in general:
The gradient of a distance–time graph represents the speed of the object.
Distance time graphs
With the change in speed, the gradient of the
distance–time graph varies. Speed at any point
Figure shows the shape of a distance–time equals the gradient of the tangent. For example,
graph. the gradient of the tangent at T is
OA represents rest. AB represents constant AB/BC = 40m/2s = 20 m/s. The speed at the
speed. instant corresponding to T is therefore 20 m/s.
BC represents rest.
CD represents constant speed higher than
the AB segment.
The gradient of a distance–time graph represents
the speed of the object.
Speed–time graphs
If the speed of an object is plotted against the time, The linear shape (PQ) of the speed–time graph
the graph obtained is a speed–time graph. It
provides a way of solving motion problems. In Figure shown in Figure below means that the gradient, and
1.2.2, AB is the speed–time graph for an object hence the acceleration of the body, are constant
moving with a constant speed of 20 m/s. Values for over the time period OS.
the speed of the object at 1 s intervals can be read
from the graph and are given in Table . The data
shows that the speed is constant over the 5 s time
interval.
Velocity time graphs
Figure below shows the shape of a speed–time graph for an Figure shows a speed–time graph for a changing
object accelerating from rest over time interval OA, travelling
at a constant speed over time interval AB and then acceleration. The curved shape OX means that the
decelerating (when the speed is decreasing) over the time gradient of the graph, and hence the acceleration of
interval BC. The steeper gradient in time interval BC than in
time interval OA shows that the deceleration is greater than the object, change over time period OY – the
the acceleration. The object remains at rest over the time acceleration is changing.
interval CD when its speed and acceleration are zero.
The area under a speed–time graph measures the
distance travelled.
Home work
1. The speeds of a bus travelling on a straight road • 2 The distance of a walker from the
are given below at successive intervals of 1 second.
start of her walk is given below at
successive intervals of 1 second.
• a Sketch a distance–time graph of the
following values.
a Sketch a speed–time graph using the values.
b Choose two of the following terms which
describe the acceleration of the bus:
constant ,changing, positive, negative • b How would you describe the speed
c Calculate the acceleration of the bus. at which she walks?
d Calculate the area under your graph. • constant ,changing ,increasing,
e How far does the bus travel in 4 s? • accelerating
• c Calculate her average speed.
Equations for constant acceleration
• Problems involving bodies moving
with constant acceleration in a
straight line can often be solved
quickly using some equations of
motion.
• First equation
• Note that the initial speed u and
• If an object is moving with constant the final speed v refer to the start
acceleration a in a straight line and and the finish of the timing and do
its speed increases from u to v in not necessarily mean the start and
time t, then finish of the motion.
Second equation
• The speed of an object moving • If s is the distance moved in time
with constant acceleration in a t, then since average speed =
straight line increases steadily. total distance/total time = s/t,
• Its average speed therefore
equals half the sum of its initial
and final speeds, that is,
Cont…
• S=( )xt • Third equation of motion.
• S=( )xt • S=( )xt
• t=
• S=( )
• S=( )x( )
• S=ut+ at2
• 2as=v2‐u2
Acceleration of free fall
• All bodies falling freely under the force of • Distance–time graph for a falling object:
gravity do so with uniform acceleration if air
resistance is negligible . • For an object falling freely from rest (without
air resistance), there will be constant
• This acceleration, called the acceleration of acceleration g.
• free fall, is denoted by the italic letter g. • A graph of distance s against time t is shown
The gradually increasing slope indicates the
• Its value varies slightly over the Earth but is speed of the object increases steadily.
constant in each place; on average it is about
9.8 m/s2, or near enough 10 m/s2.
• The velocity of a free‐falling body therefore
increases by about 10 m/s every second.
• A ball shot straight upwards with a velocity of
• 30 m/s decelerates by about 10 m/s every
second and reaches its highest point after 3 s.