Lesson 2.

Motion along a Straight Line

Position, Displacement, and Distance
Position – location of an object relative to a reference point.

Displacement – a change in position. (△X = XF – X0)

- the shortest distance from the initial position to the final position.
Distance – a scalar quantity representing a measurement of length between two
points.

Example 2.1 (position)

1. X1 = 2m
2. X2 = 4m
3. X3 = -2m

Example 2.2. An object moves from X1 = 3m to X2 = 6m. Calculate the displacement.

Solution:

△X = XF – X0 = X2 -X1 = 6m – 3m = 3m

(Since the result is positive, this means that the motion is in the positive X-direction)

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers

Example 2.3. An object moves from X1 = 3m to X2 = 1m. Calculate the displacement.
Solution:

△X = XF – X0 = X2 -X1 = 1m – 3m = -2m

(Since the result is negative, the motion is in the negative X-direction)

Example 2.4. An object moves from pt A to pt C then back to B and then to point C
along the line shown in the figure below. Find:
a. The total distance covered.
b. The magnitude and direction of the displacement.

Solution:
a. Total distance = 9km + 4 km + 4km = 17km

b. Displacement: △X = XF – X0 = X2 -X1 = 9km – 0 = 9km toward the + x-direction

Practice Problem 2.1. Jose runs east, and then back to his initial position. What is the
total distance covered? What is the displacement?

Practice Problem 2.2. A shopper walks 20m north, then 5m east, 10m north, and then
5m west. What is the total distance covered? What is the displacement?

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers

Exercises 1:
1. Maria walks 20m east, then turns and walks 20m west. What is the total distance
covered? What are the magnitude and direction of the displacement?
2. Peter walks east for 5km, and then north for 7km. What is the distance covered?
What is the displacement (magnitude and direction)?

Average Velocity and Average Speed

Average velocity = ratio of the displacement that occurs during a particular time
interval.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ∆𝑥 𝑥2 − 𝑥1
𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = =
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 ∆𝑡 ∆𝑡

𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑

𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

Example 2.5. A dog walks 3m east, then walks 4m south, in 20 seconds. Calculate
a. the average speed
b. the average velocity

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers

 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 3𝑚 + 4𝑚
𝑎. 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 0.35 m/s
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 20 𝑠

𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑏. 𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 = √(3𝑚)2 + (4𝑚)2 = 5m

Direction:
4𝑚
tan 𝜃 =
3𝑚

θ = 53.13o
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 5𝑚
𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 0.25 m/s, 53.13o south of east
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 20 𝑠

Example 2.6. You drive a truck along a straight road for 8.4km at 70 km/h at which
point the truck runs out of gasoline and stops. Over the next 30 minutes you walk
2 km farther along the road to a gasoline station. (a) What is your overall displacement
from the beginning of your drive to your arrival at the station? (b) What is the time
interval from the beginning of your drive to the gasoline station? (c) What is your
average velocity from the beginning of your drive to your arrival at the gasoline
station?
Solution:

a) Overall displacement = XF – X0 = 10.4 km – 0 km = 10.4 km

b) Total time = Time from the point where you run out of gas and stop + time from the
point where you stop to the gas station

△T =△t1 + △t2

△x = 8.4 km – 0 km = 8.4 km
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝑘𝑚 8.4 𝑘𝑚
70 = ; △t1 = 0.12 h; △t2 = 30 min = 0.5 h
ℎ ∆𝑡1

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers

 Total time interval = 0.12h + 0.5 h = 0.62 h

𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 10.4 𝑘𝑚

c) 𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 16.8 km/h
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 0.62 ℎ

Exercises 2: (Ref. University Physics 13th edition by Young and Freedman)

1. A car travels in the + x-direction on a straight and level road. For the first 4 s of its
motion, the average velocity of the car is 6.25 m/s. How far does it travel in 4
seconds?
2. Starting from the front door of your ranch house, you walk 60m east to your
windmill, and then you turn around and slowly walk 40m, went to a bench where you
sit and watch the sunrise. It takes you 28 s to walk from your house to the windmill
and 36s to walk from the windmill to the bench. For the entire trip from your front
door to the bench, what are your average velocity and average speed?

Instantaneous Velocity, Instantaneous Acceleration, and Average Acceleration

Instantaneous velocity:
∆𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑣 = lim ∆𝑡 =
𝑥→0 𝑑𝑡

Instantaneous acceleration:
𝑑𝑣 𝑑2 𝑥
𝑎= =
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2

Average acceleration:
∆𝑣 𝑣2 − 𝑣1
𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑒 = ∆𝑡
= ∆𝑡

Example 2.7. A particle moves according to the equation x = 10t2, where x is in meters
and t is in seconds. Find the (a) average velocity for the time interval from 2 s to 3 s.
(b) instantaneous velocity at t = 2 s and at t = 3 s
Solution:
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ∆𝑥 𝑥2 − 𝑥1
a) 𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = =
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 ∆𝑡 ∆𝑡

△t = t2 – t1 = 3s – 2s = 1s

𝑥2 = 10 𝑡2 2 = 10 (3)2 = 90 𝑚

𝑥1 = 10 𝑡1 2 = 10 (2)2 = 40𝑚

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers

 △x = 90m – 40m = 50m
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ∆𝑥 50𝑚
𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = =
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 ∆𝑡 1𝑠

vave = 50m/s

b) 𝑥 = 10 𝑡 2
𝑑𝑥
𝑣= = 20t
𝑑𝑡

at t = 2s,
v = 20t = 20(2) = 40m/s
at t = 3s,
v = 20t = 20(3) = 60 m/s

Example 2.8.
An object moves along the x-axis according to the equation x = 3t2 – 2t + 3, where x is
in meters and t is in seconds. Determine
(a) the average velocity between t = 2 s to t = 3s
(b) the instantaneous velocity at t = 2s and t= 3s
(c) the average acceleration between t = 2s to t = 3s
(d) the instantaneous acceleration at t =2s and t = 3s
(e) At what time is the object at rest?

Solution:
𝑥2 − 𝑥1
(a) 𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
∆𝑡

𝑥2 = 3𝑡 2 − 2𝑡 + 3 = 3(3)2 − 2(3) + 3 = 24𝑚

𝑥1 = 3𝑡 2 − 2𝑡 + 3 = 3(2)2 − 2(2) + 3 = 11𝑚

𝑥2 − 𝑥1 24𝑚 − 11𝑚
𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑒 = =
∆𝑡 1𝑠

vave = 13 m/s

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers

(b) 𝑥 = 3𝑡 2 − 2𝑡 + 3
𝑑𝑥
𝑣=
𝑑𝑡
v = 6t -2
at t1 = 2s; v1 = 6(2) – 2 = 12 – 2 = 10m/s
at t2 = 3s; v2 = 6(3) – 2 = 18 – 2 = 16m/s

𝑚
∆𝑣 𝑣2 − 𝑣1 16 − 10 𝑚/𝑠
(c) 𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 𝑠
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡 1𝑠

aave = 6 m/s

𝑑𝑣 𝑑2 𝑥
(d) 𝑎 = =
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2

v = 6t – 2
a = 6m/s2

(e) v = 6t – 2
0 = 6t – 2
2 = 6t
t = 2/6 = 0.33s

Exercises 3:
1. A car is stopped at a traffic light. It then travels along a straight road so that its
distance from the traffic light is give by x(t) = bt2 – ct3 where b = 2.40m/s2 and
c = 0.120 m/s3. (a) calculate the average velocity of the car for the time interval from
t = 0 to t = 10 s. (b) Calculate the instantaneous velocity of the car at t =, t = 5s and t=
10s. (c) How long from the starting point is the car at rest again?

2. The position of a particle moving along then x-axis is given by x = 12t2 – 2t3.
At t = 3s, determine its (a) position (b) instantaneous velocity (c) instantaneous
acceleration.

M. E. Omiles Lesson 2 Motion Along A Straight Line Physics for Engineers