AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1.

Kinematics Date:

Unit 1 –
Kinematics
I. One Dimensional Motion
2. Acceleration

by
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

2. Acceleration
2.1 Motion with Acceleration
Direction Speed Change in Change of Direction
of Velocity Velocity in of
Motion given Time Acceleration
2

* Is the object Speeding up or Slowing down?

When velocity and acceleration have same direction → Speed is
When velocity and acceleration have opposite direction → Speed is

Velocity Acceleration Speed

positive positive
positive negative
negative positive
negative negative

Acceleration
• the change in velocity of moving object with respect to time
• Vector quantity
• unit: meter per second squared (m/s2)
Change in Velocity
Average Acceleration =
Time
  
υf −υ0 ∆υ
aave = or aave =
t ∆t
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

Review Questions

Questions 1 - 2. Starting from rest, a motorbike

accelerates on a straight level road at the rate of 3.0
m/s2 for 6.0 s.

1. What is the speed of the vehicle at the end of this

3
time interval?
(A) 9.0 m/s
(B) 18 m/s
(C) 27 m/s
(D) 54 m/s
(E) 108 m/s

2. What is the total distance the vehicle travels during

this time interval?
(A) 9 m
(B) 18 m
(C) 36 m
(D) 54 m
(E) 108 m

Questions 3 - 4. An hockey-puck is moving in a

straight line with an instantaneous velocity of 8.0
meter per second when it begins to slow down with a
uniform acceleration of magnitude 2.0 meters per
second squared.

3. How long will it take for its instantaneous speed to

reach 4.0 meters per second?
(A) 0.2 s
(B) 1.0 s
(C) 2.0 s
(D) 4.0 s
(E) 6.0 s

4. What is the total distance of the hockey-puck

moving until it stops?

(A) 8.0 m
(B) 16 m
(C) 32 m
(D) 64 m
(E) 128 m
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

2.2 Velocity vs. Time Graph

Time (s) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Position (m) 0 37.5 150 337.5 600 937.5 1,350
Velocity (m/s) 0 15 30 45 60 75 90
2
Acceleration (m/s )

Average Acceleration between 10 s and 90 s

Instantaneous Acceleration at t = 10 s

Instantaneous Acceleration at t = 90 s
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

*Average Acceleration between t 0 and t f *Instantaneous Acceleration at time t 0 and t f

Slope of straight line between two points Slope of Tangent line at t 0 and t f , respectively
υf − υ0 dυ d 2 x
a= =
a =
tf − t0 dt dt 2

Velocity vs. Time Graph → Acceleration vs. Time Graph

Area under the graph = Displacement

tf
∫ υ x dt
the displacement over a time interval is given by x f − x0 =
t0
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

Review Questions
Questions 5-7
A tape attached to a moving object was pulled by the object through a marker that put dots on the tape at a
constant rate of 10 dots per second for a period of 2.5 s. The figure below shows the marked tape next to a
centimeter ruler.

5. The average speed of the object for the total time recorded on the tape is most nearly

(A) 3.3 centimeters per second

(B) 4.5 centimeters per second
(C) 5.5 centimeters per second
(D) 7.0 centimeters per second

6. Which of the following best represents the graph of the velocity of the object versus time?

(A) (B)

(C) (D)

7. Which of the following best represents the graph of the acceleration of the object versus time?

(A) (B)

(C) (D)
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

8. A car moves in a straight line along the x-axis. The velocity of the car v x as a function of time t is shown
in the graph above. The position x of the car at t = 0 is x = 0. The average acceleration ax of the car
during the interval of 0 to 10 s is most nearly

(A) −2.0 m/s2

(B) −0.40 m/s2
(C) +0.40 m/s2
(D) +1.0 m/s2
(E) +2.0 m/s2

9. The velocity of a particle moving along the x-axis is given as a function of time by the expression
υ(t) = 3.0t2 − 2.0t + 4.0, where υ is in meters per second and t is in seconds. What is the acceleration of the
particle at t = 2.0 s?

(A) 4.0 m/s2

(B) 6.0 m/s2
(C) 8.0 m/s2
(D) 10.0 m/s2
(E) 12.0 m/s2

10. The position of a toy locomotive moving on a straight track along the x-axis is given by the equation
x = t3 − 6t2 + 9t, where x is in meters and t is in seconds. The acceleration of the locomotive is equal to zero
when t is equal to

(A) zero
(B) 2 s
(C) 3 s
(D) 4 s
(E) 5 s
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

Questions 11 - 12

At time t = 0, car X traveling with speed υ 0 passes car Y. which is just starting to move. Both cars then travel on
two parallel lanes of the same straight road. The graphs of speed υ versus time t for both cars are shown
above.

11. Which of the following is true at time t = 20
seconds?
(A) Car Y is behind car X.
(B) Car Y is passing car X.
(C) Car Y is in front of car X.
(D) Both cars have the same acceleration.
12. From time t = 0 to time t = 40 seconds, the areas
under both curves are equal. Therefore, which of
the following is true at time t = 40 seconds?
(A) Car Y is behind car X.
(B) Car Y is passing car X.
(C) Car Y is in front of car X.
(D) Both cars have the same acceleration.

13. The graph above shows the velocity υ as a function of time t for an object moving in a straight line. Which of
the following graphs shows the corresponding displacement x as a function of time t for the same time interval?

(A) (B)

(C) (D)
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

14. An object of mass 10 kg starts from rest at time t = 0 and moves in a straight line. For time t > 0, the
object’s velocity υ as a function of time t is given by υ = 2t + 3t2, where υ is in m/s and t is in seconds.
How far does the object travel during the first 10 s of its motion?

(A) 62 m
(B) 320 m
(C) 383 m
9
(D) 1100 m
(E) 1600 m
\

2.3 Acceleration vs. Time Graph

Time (s) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Velocity (m/s)
Acceleration (m/s2) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Area under the graph = Velocity

change in velocity over a time interval is given by
tf
∫ adt
υ f − υ0 =
t0

Review Questions
15. A plane starts at rest on a straight runway. For the first 30 s, the plane’s acceleration a is given as a
function of time by the equation a =βt2, where β= 1/90 m/s4 and t is in seconds. What is the plane’s speed
at t = 30 s?

(A) 10 m/s
(B) 30 m/s
(C) 100 m/s
(D) 150 m/s
(E) 300 m/s
 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

*The Relationships between Position, Velocity, and Acceleration Graph.

Position vs. Time Graph

10

Velocity vs. Time Graph

Acceleration vs. Time Graph

 AP Physics C Mechanics Unit 1. Kinematics Date:

11

Position vs. Time Velocity vs. Time Acceleration vs. Time

• Slope = Velocity • Slope = Acceleration • Slope = Nothing
• Area = Nothing • Area = Displacement
tf • Area = Velocity
* Instantaneous Velocity: ∫ υ x dt
x f − x0 = tf
∫ adt
υ f − υ0 =
t0
the slope of the tangent to * Instantaneous Acceleration: t0
the curve at that point. the slope of the tangent to
dx the curve at that point.
υ=
dt dυ
a=
dt