C HAPTER 8

I NTEGRATION IN P RACTICE

8.1 1-D IMENSIONAL K INEMATICS

Integration is highly applicable to physics. Here we have a point x which is in-motion along a line, and which has
a position as a function of time, x(t ). Then, we have an interchange among the equations of motion:

dx d v d 2x
x(t ) ⇐⇒ v(t ) = ⇐⇒ a = =
dt dt dt2
One travels right along the arrows by way of differentiation, and one travels to the left by way of integration.
Assuming that the acceleration a is held constant (i.e. the “jerk” d a/d t = 0), we have the “Big-Four” equations of
motion:
1 2
(1) : v(t ) = at + v 0 (2) : ∆x³ = 2 at ´ + v 0 t
v(t )+v 0
(3) : v t2 = 2a∆x + v 02 (4) : t 2 = ∆x
These are derived below: Z
(1) : v(t ) = ad t = at + C

Plugging-in t = 0 yields v(0) = C , so that v(t ) = at + v 0 .

1 1
Z Z
(2) : x(t ) = v(t )d t = at + v 0 d t = at 2 + v 0 t + C = at 2 + v 0 t + x 0 ;
2 2
Having plugged-in t = 0, x(0) = C . Next, by chain-rule:

dv dv dx dv
=(3)1 : a =
· = · v(t )
dt dx dt dx
Then, the differential-form (multiply both sides by d x) implies:
ad x = vd v, then integrate both sides from t = 0 to t :

v 2 − v 02
¯x
x v v 2 ¯¯v
Z Z ¯
=⇒ 2a∆x = v 2 − v 02 (∗)
¯
ad x = vd v =⇒ ax ¯¯ = =⇒ a∆x = a(x − x 0 ) =
x0 v0 x0 2 ¯v 0 2
And then = 2a∆x + v 02 , as desired.
v t2
(4) : (∗) in (3) implies that 2a∆x = v 2 − v 02 = (v + v 0 )(v − v 0 )
Now, substitute v − v 0 = ∆v, and since a is constant, a = ∆v ∆v ∆x
∆t = ∆x · ∆t
This yields:
∆v ∆x ∆x
µ ¶
(v + v 0 )∆v = 2 · ∆x
 = 2∆v
∆x
 ∆t  ∆t
Cancel the ∆v, and divide by 2, then multiply by ∆t :
v + v0
∆t = ∆x
2
Since time starts at zero, ∆t = t , and we can drop the Delta.
1 http://physics.info/kinematics-calculus/

Andrew Dynneson dynnesonTeaching@gmail.com 25