MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING SCIENCE
Linear Motion
Lecturer 5
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 CONCEPTS TO BE EXAMINED
 Uniform / Linear Velocity

 Uniform Acceleration

 Velocity/Time Graphs

 Equations of Motions (bodies moving with constant

velocity or uniform acceleration)
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 Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to "how much ground an
object has covered" during its motion.

 Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to "how far out of

place an object is"; it is the object's overall change in position.

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 Speed is the rate at which distance is covered. Thus a car might be
stated as having a speed of 50 km/h.

 Average speed is the distance covered in a time interval divided by

the time taken:

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝
𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 =
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧
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 A constant or uniform speed occurs when equal distances are
covered in equal intervals of time, however small we consider the
time interval.

 Velocity is the rate at which displacement along a straight line

changes with time. Thus an object having a velocity of 5 m/s means
that the object moves along a straight line path at the rate of 5 m/s.

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 Average velocity is the displacement along a straight line
occurring in a time interval divided by that time:

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 =
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧

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 A constant or uniform velocity occurs when equal
displacements occur in the same straight line direction in equal
intervals of time, however small the time interval. Thus an
object with a constant velocity of 5 m/s in a particular direction
for a time of 30 s will cover 5m in the specified direction in each
second of its motion.

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 Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. The term
retardation is often used to describe a negative acceleration, i.e.
when the object is slowing down rather than increasing in velocity.

 Average acceleration is the change of velocity occurring over a

time interval divided by the time:

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲
𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 =
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧

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 A constant or uniform acceleration occurs when the velocity

changes by equal amounts in equal intervals of time, however small
the time interval. Thus an object with a constant acceleration of
𝟓 𝐦Τ𝐬𝟐 in a particular direction for a time of 30 s will change its
velocity by 5 m/s in the specified direction in each second of its
motion.

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Velocity Time -graph

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a) Since the velocity-time graph is a straight line, the body has uniform velocity

b) The body has uniform acceleration and it initial velocity is zero because the line
starts from the origin

c) The body has some initial velocity and is under uniform retardation.

d) The body has some initial velocity and uniform acceleration

e) The body has zero initial velocity and its has variable acceleration

f) The body is a rest from O to A, it has uniform acceleration from A to B, it has

uniform Velocity from B to C and from C to D, the body is under uniform
retardation.
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Straight Line Motion

The equations that are derived in the following all relate to uniformly accelerated
motion in a straight line.

Where:
t − time taken
v − final velocity
u − initial velocity
a − acceleration

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Change in Velocity
acceleration =
Time taken
Final Velocity − Initial Velocity
acceleration =
Time taken
v−u
a=
t

∴ at = v − u

𝐯 = 𝐮 + 𝐚𝐭 [𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏]
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 If the object, in its straight-line motion, covers a distance s in a time t,
𝒔
then the average velocity in that time interval is:
𝒕

 With an initial velocity of u and a final velocity of v at the end of the time
u+v
interval, the average velocity is:
2

s u+v
∴ =
t 2
𝐮+𝐯
𝐬= 𝐭 [𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐]
𝟐
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From Equation 2 and 3 the following two equation s of motion are derived

at 2
s = ut + [Equation 3]
2
v 2 = u2 + 2as [Equation 4]

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Example 5.1

The velocity of a vehicle changes uniformly from 50 km/h to 30 km/h in

25 seconds. Determine:

a) The deceleration in 𝐦Τ𝐬𝟐 .

b) The distance travelled in 25 seconds.

c) The further time required to bring the vehicle to rest, if the

deceleration is maintained uniform.

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𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧

u = 50 km/h

v = 30 km/h

t = 25 s

a) The deceleration

5 m
u = 50 × = 13.889
18 s

5 m
v = 30 × = 8.333
18 s

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v = u + at

v−u
∴a=
t

8.333 m/s − 13.889 m/s

a=
25 s

−5.556 m/s
a=
25 s
a = −0.222 mΤs2

Deceleration = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝐦Τ𝐬 𝟐 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫

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b) The distance travelled in 25 seconds

u+v
s= t
2

m m
13.889 + 8.333
s= s s 25 s
2

m
22.222
s= s 25 s
2

𝐒 = 𝟐𝟕𝟕. 𝟖 𝐦 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫
The distance travelled in 25 seconds is 277.8 m

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c) Time required to bring the vehicle to rest

v = u + at

v−u
∴t=
a

0 − 13.889 m/s
t=
−0.222 mΤs 2

t = 62.6 s

∴ further time required to bring the vehicle to rest = 62.6 s − 25 s = 𝟑𝟕. 𝟔 𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫

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Exercise 5.1
A cyclist rides along a straight road from a point A to a point B. He starts from rest
at A and accelerates uniformly to reach a speed of 12m/s in 8 seconds. He
maintains this speed for a further 20 seconds and then uniformly retards to rest at
B. If the whole journey takes 34 seconds, draw velocity – time graph for the motion
and determine
a) his accelerate for the first part of the motion,
b) his retardation for the last part of the motion,
c) The total distance travelled.
Answers 1.5 m/s , 2𝐦Τ𝐬 𝟐 , 324m
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Example 5.2

An engineer is designing the runway for an airport. Of the planes that

will use the airport, the lowest acceleration rate is likely to be 3 m/s2.
The takeoff speed for this plane will be 65 m/s. assuming this minimum
acceleration, what is the minimum allowed length for the runway?
Answer 704 m

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Exercise 5.2

A stone is thrown from the top of a building with an initial velocity of 20.0 m/s straight upward, at an initial
height of 50.0 m above the ground. The stone just misses the edge of the roof on the its way down.
Determine

(a) the time needed for the ston e to reach its maximum height.

(b) the maximum height.

(c) the time needed for the stone to return to the height from which it was thrown and the velocity of the
stone at that instant.

(d) the time needed for the stone to reach the ground and velocity it strike the ground with.

(e) the velocity and position of the stone at t = 5 s

Answers (2.03s, 20.4 m, 4.08s, 20m/s, 5.83 s,37.1 m/s, 29 m/s)

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Equation of Motion
v = u + at [Equation 1]

u+v
s= t [Equation 2]
2

at 2
s = ut + [Equation 3]
2

v 2 = u2 + 2as [Equation 4]

s = vt only when velocity or speed is constant

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