Credit+ Calculus Applications of Derivatives - Kinematics

1) The position of an object moving along a straight line is given by x(t) = 3 – 2t2 + 3t3
where x is in meters and t in seconds.

a) Derive the expressions for the velocity and acceleration of the object as a function of time

b) Find the position of the object at t = 0, t = 2s, t = 4s.

c) Find the displacement of the object between t = 2s and t = 4s; between t = 0s and t = 4s.

d) Find the average velocity

i) between t = 2s and t = 4s ii) between t = 0s and t = 4s iii) between t = 1s and t = 3s.

e) What is the instantaneous velocity at t = 2s? at t = 5s?

f) At what time(s) is/are the instantaneous velocities zero?

g) When does the instantaneous velocity have a maximum or a minimum value?

h) Find the change in velocity between t = 2s and t = 5s.

i) Find the average acceleration between t = 2s and t = 5s

j) When is the instantaneous acceleration of the object zero?

k) Find the instantaneous acceleration of the object at t = 2s; t = 5s

2) The position of a body moving along a straight line is given by x(t) = 16t – 6t2
where x is in meters and t in seconds.

a) Find the position of the body at t = 1s.

b) At what times does the body pass the origin?
c) Calculate the average velocity of the body between t = 0 and 2 seconds.
d) Find the velocity of the object at any time t.
e) What is velocity at t = 0? at t = 2s?
f) At what times and positions will the body be at rest?
g) Find the acceleration of the body at any time t.
h) When is the acceleration of the body zero?
i) During what time interval(s) is the body “speeding up” (i.e. accelerating)?
j) During what time interval(s) is the body “slowing down” (i.e. decelerating)?
In the following questions, the position function of a particle is given by x(t),
where t is measured in seconds and x in metres (except for question 4).

3) A ball is thrown directly upward with an initial velocity of 24.5 m/s. Due to gravity it undergoes
an acceleration of 9.81 m/s2 [downwards]. Its position function is x(t) = -4.905t2 + 24.5t.

Find the ball’s velocity after 3 s.

4) The position of a car is given by x(t) = 160t2 + 20t, for t ³ 0, where t is in

hours and x in kilometres.

When does the car’s velocity reach 100 km/h?

5) The position of a particle is given by x(t) = t2 - 4t + 4, for t ³ 0.

When is the particle moving in a positive direction?

6) A particle moves according to the equation of motion x(t) = t3 - 9t2 + 18t.

Find the velocity at the instant that the acceleration is zero.

7) The position function of a particle is x(t) = t4 - 12t3 + 30t2 + 5t, for t ³ 0.

When is the particle accelerating in the positive direction?

ANSWERS

1) a) v = -4t + 9t2, a = -4 + 18t b) 3m, 19m, 163m c) 144m, 160m

d) 72m/s, 40m/s, 31m/s e) 28m/s, 205m/s f) 0s, 0.44s
g) 0.22s h) 177m/s i) 59m/s2
j) 0.22s k) 32m/s2, 86 m/s2

2) a) 10 m b) 0s, 2.67 s c) 4m/s

d) v = 16 - 12t e) 16m/s, -8m/s f) 1.33s, 10.6m
g) -12m/s2) h) never i) t > 1.33s
j) 0 < t < 1.33s

3) -4.93 m/s 4) at 15 min. 5) after 2 s

6) - 9 m/s 7) 0 £ t < 1 and t > 5