igwenzi

KINEMATICS
Unlike dynamics, kinematics deals with individual massless particles.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Distance: length between two points.
2. Displacement: distance moved in a particular direction. Units – metres. Vector quantity.
3. Speed: distance travelled per unit time. Units – ms-1. It’s a scalar quantity
4. Velocity: rate of change of displacement. Units – ms-1. Vector quantity.
5. Acceleration: rate of change of velocity. Units – ms-2. Vector quantity.

GRAPHICAL METHODS TO REPRESENT MOTION

Displacement – Time Graph
1. For Uniform Motion

2. Displacement – Time Graph For Non – uniform Motion

B
s

A C

 To find the velocity at any point on the graph, the gradient of a tangent at that point is
the velocity.
 At A, the gradient is positive, hence the velocity is positive.
 At C, the gradient is negative, hence the velocity is negative.
 There is zero velocity at B, since gradient is zero.

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 1

 igwenzi

VELOCITY – TIME GRAPH

(i) Uniform acceleration

(ii) Velocity – time graph for non uniform acceleration

B
v

A C

 Slope at any point represent instantaneous acceleration.

 Negative acceleration e.g. at C is called deceleration.
 Positive acceleration e.g. at A means the body is gaining speed.
 At B, the slope = zero, hence acceleration = zero and at that point the body has
constant velocity.

(iii)Velocity –Time Graph (uniform velocity)

 Body moving with uniform velocity V0

 There is no change in velocity, therefore
acceleration = zero.
 The area under a velocity – time graph
gives the distance covered. [S=vt]

Example: Using the diagram on fig 3, answer the following questions.

a) Describe the motion at regions AB, BC, CD, DE, EF, FG, GH, and HI.
b) Calculate the distance covered in whole period.
c) Calculate the net displacement.

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 2

 igwenzi

v
C A1 and A2 are the areas
D
enclosed by the graphs
B D

A1
F I
A t
E
A2
G
H

Fig 3

Exercise: What motion is represented by the graph below?

V1

-V1

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 3

 igwenzi

UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED MOTION IN A STRAIGHT LINE

A body is said to be uniformly accelerated if its velocity changes by equal amounts in equal
times.

Suppose that the velocity of an object moving in a straight line with uniform acceleration a
increases from initial velocity u to final velocity v in time t.

⇒ Using the definition of acceleration,

. . . . . . . [1]

⇒ the distance moved by the object in time t is

. . . . . . . [2]

Substituting v in [2] from equation [1], v = u + at, gives

S=

S= . . . . . . [3]

Also from eq. [1], t = , substituting into eq. [2] gives

Equations [1], [3] and [4] are the equations of motion of a body moving in a straight line with
uniform acceleration.

We can also derive the equations of motion using a velocity – time graph.

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 4

 igwenzi

Velocity

at =v - u
2
A2 = at

u
A1 = ut

time
O
t
el
oc
From the definition of acceleration,
it
v = u + at y. . . . . . [1]

s = A1 + A2

s = ut + at2 . . . . . . [2]

To get 3rd equation substitute t from equation [1], i.e. t = ( v – u)/a, into [2].

These equations also apply to motion under gravity if we ignore air resistance and
gravitational acceleration g. i.e.

 The negative value of g, i.e. (– g) is used for upward motion.

Example: A car moving with velocity of 10 ms-1 accelerates uniformly at 2 ms-2 until it
reaches a velocity of 15 ms-1. Calculate the:
(i) time taken
(ii) distance covered during acceleration.
(iii) velocity reached 100 m from the place when acceleration begin.

Solution: v = 15 ms-1 u = 10 ms-1

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 5

 igwenzi

Example 2: A ball is thrown vertically upwards with an initial speed of 20 ms-1. Calculate
(i) time taken to return to thrower

(ii) the maximum height H reached by the ball.

Solution: for upward motion, a = -g = -9.81 ms-1, at maximum height, v = 0

time taken to return to thrower = 2 x time to reach max. Height = 2 x 2 = 4 s

(i) v2 = u2 + 2as
0 = 202 + 2( -9.81)H
19.62H = 400
H = 20.4 m

MOTION UNDER GRAVITY CONSIDERING AIR RESISTANCE

When an object of mass m is released at a certain height in the air, it accelerates at first but
after some time its velocity reaches a steady value. This steady value is known as the
terminal velocity.

Terminal velocity is reached when the resistive force Fr of air is equal to the weight of the
falling object (mg)

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 6

 igwenzi

12
VT 10 Terminal velocity

8
Velocity (m/s)

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time/s

COMPONENT OF A VECTOR

Vy
V

θ
Vx

If vector V is at angle θ to the horizontal, then its;

(i) horizontal component Vx = V cosθ

(ii) vertical component Vy = V sinθ

MOTION OF PROJETILES

A body projected through a gravitational field is known as a projectile. 3 cases where for
projectile motion will be considered. In all cases air resistance will be neglected

CASE 1: A body thrown vertically upwards or dropped vertical downwards constitutes a

projectile. With g being the acceleration due to gravity, the following equations of motion are
used.

The negative value of g, i.e. (– g) is used for upward projection.

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 7

 igwenzi

CASE 2: Object projected at an angle.

Suppose an object is projected from ground with an initial velocity u at an angle θ, it follows
a parabolic path as shown below:

u
u sinθ
H

x
O A
U cosθ

At t = 0; Initial horizontal velocity, vx = u cosθ

Initial vertical velocity, vy = u sinθ
Velocity components after time t; from equation: v = u + at:

[Upwards: a = - g; downwards: a = g]

[Horizontal component of g = 0]
Note: g does not affect the horizontal motion, hence vx = u cosθ = constant

Displacement at any time t; from equation: s = ut + ½ at2:

[Vertical motion]

[Horizontal motion]

CONSIDERING VERTICAL MOTION

u = u sin θ and a = - g

(a) Time taken to reach maximum height; H

@ Maximum height, vy = 0; Using

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 8

 igwenzi

(b) Maximum height (H)

From the equation; v2 = u2 + 2as: [vy =0, s = H, u= u sinθ]

(c) Time for the flight (tf)

The body hits the ground when height, y = 0; from:

CONSIDER HORIZONTAL MOTION

 is not affected by g; g = 0
from equation: s = ut + ½ at2; at any time t,

Range(R) – is the horizontal distance travelled to complete the flight (OA).

but time for the flight;

Maximum range Rmax is obtained when sin2θ = 1; i.e. when 2θ = 90° or θ = 45°

When sin2θ = 1.

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 9

 igwenzi

CASE 3: Object projected horizontal at a height y

Consider an object O thrown horizontal from the top of a cliff with a horizontal velocity ux.
Since initial velocity is horizontal, it has no component in the vertical direction.

ux

Horizontal Motion
Horizontal velocity is constant throughout the flight; ux = constant = vx
Horizontal distance x moved after time t from equation; s = ut + ½ at2 [s = x, g = 0)

Vertical Motion

a = g; initial velocity, uy = 0.
After time t;
From equation v = u + at and s = ut + ½ at2

Speed/velocity of object at the instant it hit the ground

 You look at the resultant velocity which is tangential to the path.

vx vx
θ
vy
vy

The resultant velocity is found using Pythagoras theorem

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 10
 igwenzi

at an angle to the horizontal.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: A ball is thrown from a height of 20 m and re-bounces with a velocity which is
¾ of the velocity with which it hits the ground. What is the time interval between the 1st and
2nd bounds?

Solution:

v = u + at
0 = 15 – 10t
t = 1.5 s

⇒ t = 2 1.5 = 3 s

Example 2: A projectile is fired from ground level with a velocity of 500 m/s at 30° to the
horizontal. Find its
i. Horizontal range
ii. Maximum height reached
iii. Time to reach maximum height
iv. What is the least speed with which it could be projected in order to achieve same
horizontal range
[neglect air resistance] use g = 10 m/s

Solution:

Time to reach maximum height; t = 25 s.

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 11

 igwenzi

(iv) For maximum range θ = 45°, so that sin 2θ = 1. We can fire the projectile with speed u at
an angle of 45° so that we get the same range of 21650.6 m.

Example 3: A ball is thrown forward horizontal from the top of a cliff with avelocity of 10
m/s. the height of the cliff above the ground is 45 m. Calculate:
i. Time to reach the ground
ii. The distance from the cliff base to where the ball hit the ground (range)
iii. The speed with which the ball hits the ground.

Solution:

m/s

Distance from foot of cliff (R) = 30 m

v = 31.6 @ an θ to the horizontal

Projection from a cliff/table with initial velocity vo at an angle θ to the horizontal

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 12

 igwenzi

The equation for the vertical motion becomes:

HTC: Physics Notes | igwenzi 13