Chapter Two
motion
2.1 Speed, Velocity and Acceleration:
• Motion can be defined as the change in position measured in terms of
speed, distance and time.
• Speed can be defined as the distance travelled by a body per unit time.
• The SI unit of speed is m/s, however longer journeys can be measured in
km/h.
• Velocity is defined as speed in a given direction, for example if we say a
cyclist is moving with a speed of 10 m/s this is speed, but if we say he is
moving by 10 m/s due east this is velocity.
• On paper velocity can be represented by an arrow: 10 m/s
• For motion in a straight line + and – can be used to indicate the direction
(left or right).
• Speed (velocity) can be calculated as follows:
Speed = Distance / Time
• The average speed of a journey can be calculated as follows:
Average speed = total distance / total time
Acceleration:
• We say that a moving object is accelerating, when its velocity is changing
over time.
• We usually use the term acceleration when the speed is increasing with
time and deceleration when the speed is decreasing with time.
2.2 Motion graphs:
• These are graphs that are used to demonstrate the journey of a moving
body.
• Motion graphs can be either distance-time graphs or speed (velocity)-time
graphs.
• Distance – time graph:
• In a distance- time graph, the time (independent variable) is plotted on the
x-axis against the distance (dependant variable) on the y-axis.
• The graph above is divided into three zones:
a) The first part (straight line) shows the body travelling with a constant
speed away from the starting point.
b) The second part (horizontal) shows that the body is stationary (not
moving), therefore the speed (velocity) is equal to zero.
c) The third part (straight line) shows that the body is returning back to
the starting point with a constant speed.
N.B. to calculate the speed at any point you have to divide the distance travelled
at this point by the time.
• Remember to calculate the average speed of the whole journey, use this
rule:
Average speed =
Total distance / total time
• The gradient or slope of a distance-time graph at any point represents the
speed at this point.
• If the line is straight, this means that the speed is constant.
• The graphs below represent different examples of distance-time graphs:
• Graph A represents an object ……………….
• Graph B represents an object ……………….
• Graph C represents an abject ………………
• Graph D represents an object ……………..
• Graph E represents an object ……………..
• Graph F represents an object ……………..
• Speed – time graph:
• In a speed- time graph, the time (independent variable) is plotted on the x-
axis against the speed (dependant variable) on the y-axis.
• Below is an example of a velocity time graph representing a journey of a
moving object.
• To find out the distance travelled in a speed-time graph, you need to get
the area under the graph (DON’T USE THE EQUATION).
• Free fall:
• This is any motion of a body when gravity is the only force acting upon it.
• Any object or body (regardless its mass) experiencing free fall near to the
surface of the Earth, will fall with a constant acceleration (increase in speed)
called acceleration of free fall (g), which is equal to 9.8 m/s2.