The Laws of Motion

• Uniform Accelerated Motion

• Units of Length & Time
• Speed and Velocity
• Distance vs. Displacement
• Average Speed vs. Average Velocity
• Instantaneous Velocity
• Acceleration
• Uniformly Accelerated Motion Along a Straight Line

• Uniform Circular Motion

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 1

 Uniformly Accelerated Motion

In this situation, we will limit ourselves to situations

in which acceleration is constant, or in which an
object is uniformly accelerated.

For example:

- objects falling freely under the action of gravity near the

earth’s surface have constant acceleration.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 2

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 3
 Average Velocity
(slope under the graph)

The bar above the v is used to indicate average velocity.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 4

Average Velocity
If we move along the x-axis from:
We can make a plot like this:
x
xi xf
Q (tf , xf)
at ti at tf

distance x = xf - xi
time t = tf - ti
P (ti , xi)
t

The average velocity is the slope of the line joining P and Q.

x x -x Looking at our plot, let Q approach P,
v = = f i
t tf - t i therefore Δt gets smaller, and
Instantaneous velocity = v = lim x / t
t 0
Uniformly Accelerated Motion 5
Instantaneous Velocity

From this we can see that the Instantaneous Velocity at a

certain time t is the slope of the curve at that time.
x
Q
(tf , xf)

P
(ti , xi) t

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 6

Example

A ball is thrown straight up. (It goes up, then stops, changes direction, then falls to
the ground).

The Figure on the following slide shows the ball’s y-coordinate (vertical
displacement) as a function of time.

Let us find the ball’s instantaneous velocity at points P and Q.

Let us also find the average velocity between points A and Q.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 7

Example
x (m)
Slope lines
Q
20
10 m Instantaneous Velocity
15
P at points P and Q is the
slope of the tangent at
10 each point.
1.25 s
5

A
0 1 2 3 t (s)
4

vp = slope at P = 10 m/1.25 s = 8 m/s

vQ = slope at Q = 0

The average velocity between A and Q is the slope of the line joining the two:
vAQ = 20 m / 2.0 s = 10 m/s

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 8

 +ve and –ve value of a = ???
Acceleration: +ve and -ve value of g = ???

ACCELERATION measures the time rate or change of velocity.

NOTE: Typical
It is defined as: units are (m/s)/s or
m/s2
change in velocity vector
a = (average) acceleration =
time taken
vf - vo
=
t

where: vf = final velocity; vo = original velocity; t = time interval over which

the change occurred

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 9

Acceleration Due to Gravity
The acceleration of a body moving under the force of gravity is
g, which is the gravitational (or free-fall) acceleration, directed
vertically downwards.

The velocity and acceleration is positive if the body is moving

downwards.

On earth, g = 9.81 m/s2 (= 32.2 ft/s2); which can vary slightly

from place to place.

The equations for falling objects and linear motion remain the
same.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 10

Uniformly Accelerated Motion

The motion can now be described with the following equations:

1) x = vt

vf - vo
2) v =
2
vf - vo Applied to situations:
3) a =
t
1. Motion along a straight line (x-
axis).
4) vf2 = vo2 + 2ax
2. Free falling bodies – body
at2 accelerates up/downwards with
5) x = vot +
2 acceleration of 9.81 m/s2

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 11

 Graphical Interpretations
As we have seen, graphical interpretations for motion along a straight
line (the x-axis) are as follows:

• The instantaneous velocity of an object at a certain time is the slope of

the x-versus-t graph at that time.

• For constant-velocity motion, the x-versus-t graph is a straight line (time

changes, but velocity does not)
x

• The instantaneous acceleration of an

object at a certain time is the slope of the
v-versus-t graph at that time. t

• For constant-acceleration motion, v

the v-versus-t graph is a straight line

(time changes, but acceleration remains)
t

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 12

EXERCISE 1
A car starts from rest and accelerates in a straight line at 1.6 m/s2 for
10s.
a.What is its final speed?
b.How far has it travelled in this time?
c.If the brakes are then applied and it travels a further 20m before
stopping, what is the deceleration (retardation) ?

Solution:
Initial speed u = 0.
Acceleration a = 1.6 m/s2
Time t = 10s

(a) (b) (c)

Deceleration = 6.4 m/s2

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 13

Example – Falling Object

1) A ball is dropped from rest at a height of 50 m above the ground.

a) What is its speed before it hits the ground?
b) How long does it take to reach the ground?
NOTE: for falling objects, we
ignore air friction.

NOTE: change distance unit

to y; you may also use s

2) A ball is thrown upwards with a velocity of 15 m/s. The ball reaches

a certain height then falls back to the ground.
a) How high does it go?
b) What is its velocity just before it is caught?
c) How long was it in the air?

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 14

 - The path of a projectile is a parabola
Projectile motion
- Projectile leaves origin with an initial velocity of vi.

Two assumptions: - Projectile is launched at an angle i

1. Free-fall acceleration - Velocity vector changes in magnitude and direction.

g is constant. - Acceleration in y-direction is g.
2. Air resistance is - There are no horizontal forces, thus no horizontal
negligible. acceleration.

gravity upwards = -ve

gravity downwards = +ve
Regardless of whether a projectile is moving
downwards, upwards, upwards and rightwards, or
downwards and leftwards, the free-body diagram of the
projectile is still as depicted in the diagram.
Projectile Fired at an Angle
A ball is thrown with an initial velocity of 100 m/s at an angle of 30°
above the horizontal, as shown. How high does the ball go? How far will
the ball travel assuming that it will hit the ground at the same elevation it
was thrown at?

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 19

 SOLUTION: Vy = 0 ft/s

Voy = 300 ft/s

1 m = 3.27 ft;
Therefore, 9.81 m/s² is h = ??
approximately 32.2 ft/s²
45˚

y-axis, so use range = ??

acceleration eq
 A ball is thrown into the air at a velocity of
87.5 m/s at an angle of 37˚ with the
horizontal axis. How high and far will the ball
go?

END OF PROJECTILES
 Distance - time curve

Since speed is rate of change of

distance with time, therefore the
slope, gradient, of the s/t curve is
the speed.

Between A and B the gradient is becoming less and less, hence the body is slowing
down.
At B the body is stopped (distance is not increasing) and remains at rest between B
and C.

The average speed of a body is the total distance moved divided by the total time taken.

24
 Speed - Time curve

As acceleration is rate of change of speed (v)

with time (t), therefore the slope, gradient, of
the v/t curve is the speed.

In the above graph:

- the gradient between A and B is increasing slowly - hence acceleration is increasing
- between B and C it is constant
- between C and D it is decreasing.

25
 If in the small time interval dt, the speed is v. The distance covered in the time dt is:

The total distance s travelled in the time interval between t1and t2 is the integral of this i.e.

This integral is the same as the area under the curve.

Thus the distance travelled in any time interval is the area under the v/t curve between
the start and end time.

26
Uniformly accelerated motion
If a body that is moving in a straight line and started with initial speed u undergoes a
uniform acceleration a for a time t until its velocity is v, then the speed time curve is as
shown:

Since a is uniform, its magnitude is

27
Derivations for uniformly accelerated motion equations

Substituting for t , gives:

28
 EXAMPLES
1) A car is travelling along a straight road at 13 m/s. It
accelerates uniformly for 15 s until it is moving at 25 m/s.
Find the acceleration.

Solution

29
A car traveling at 60 mph
accelerates to 90 mph in 3 Solution:
seconds. What is the car’s a = (v-u)/t
acceleration? = (90-60)/3
= 10 mph/s

A car traveling at 60 mph slams

on the breaks to avoid hitting a Solution:
deer. The car comes to a safe a = (v-u)/t
stop 6 seconds after applying = (0-60)/6
the breaks. What is the car’s = -10 mph/s
acceleration? The car decelerates at
a rate of 10 mph/s.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion Week 3, Lesson 2 30

Example question – linear motion.

4.10 A bus moving at a speed of 20 m/s begins to slow down at a rate

of 3 m/s² each second. Find how far it goes before stopping.

Take the direction of motion to be the +ve x-direction.

vo = 20 m/s NOTE: write down
vf = 0 m/s given/known values

a = -3 m/s2 NOTE: the bus is slowing down and so the

acceleration is negative (deceleration).

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 31

4) A worker drops a hammer from the top of a 60m high building. If the speed of sound in
air is 340 m/s, how long does the worker have to shout down to warn colleagues (if his
warning is to reach them before the hammer!) Neglect air resistance.

Solution:
The solution is:
the length of time for the hammer to reach the ground - the length of time it takes
for the shouted warning to reach the workers on the ground.

(a) For the hammer:

Initial speed u = 0
Acceleration a = 9.81 m/s2
Distance s = 60m
Find the time t.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 32

(b) For the shout:

s = (u+v)t / 2
Therefore, t = 2s/(u+v)
= 2(60) / (0+340)
= 0.35s

Difference in travel time between hammer and shout: 3.5 - 0.35 = 3.15 s

The warning must be shouted within 3.15 seconds of dropping the hammer.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion 33

EXERCISE

1) An airplane accelerates down a run-way at 4.50 m/s2 for 31.6 s until is

finally lifts off the ground. Determine the distance traveled before takeoff.

2) A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a time of 7.93
seconds for a distance of 110 m. Determine the acceleration of the car.

3) Chuck is riding the Giant Drop at Great America. If Chuck free falls for
3.7 seconds, what will be his final velocity and how far will he fall?

4) A race car accelerates uniformly from 15.4 m/s to 47.2 m/s in 3.5
seconds. Determine the acceleration of the car and the distance traveled.

5) A car is traveling at a speed of 80 ft/s when the brakes are suddenly

applied, causing a constant deceleration of 10 ft/s2. Determine the time
required to stop the car and the distance traveled before stopping.