Describing motion

2.1 Understanding speed

Distance, time and speed
As we have seen, there is more than one way to determine
the speed of a moving object, which is defined as shown.

Several methods to determine average speed between the

two points rely on making two measurements:
◆ the total distance travelled between two points
◆ the total time taken to travel between these two points.
2.1 Understanding speed
The units m/s (metres per second) should remind you
that you divide a distance (in metres, m) by a time (in
seconds, s) to find speed.
2.1 Understanding speed
2.2 Distance–time graphs
A graph to represent the motion of a coach, as described
in the text. The slope of the graph tells us about the
coach’s speed. The steepest section (B) corresponds to
the greatest speed. The horizontal section (C) shows
that the coach was stationary. The slope of the distance–
time graph tells us about the coach’s speed
2.3 Understanding acceleration
We say that an object accelerates if its speed increases.
Its acceleration tells us the rate at which its speed is
changing – in other words, the change in speed per
unit time. If an object slows down, its speed is also
changing. We say that it is decelerating. Instead of an
acceleration, it has a deceleration.
2.3 Understanding acceleration
We can write the equation for acceleration in symbols.
We use a for acceleration and t for time taken.
Because there are two velocities, we need two symbols.
So we use u = initial velocity and v = final velocity.
Now we can write the equation for acceleration like this:

The units of acceleration are given as m/s2 (metres per

second squared).
2.3 Understanding acceleration
Speed–time graphs
Just as we can represent the motion of a moving object
by a distance–time graph, we can also represent it by
a speed–time graph. (It is easy to get these two types
of graph mixed up. Always check out any graph by
looking at the axes to see what their labels say.) The
slope of the speed–time graph tells us about the bus’s
acceleration:
2.3 Understanding acceleration
Graphs of different shapes

Each section illustrates a different point.

A Sloping upwards: speed increasing – the train was accelerating.
B Horizontal: speed constant – the train was travelling at a steady
speed.
C Sloping downwards: speed decreasing – the train was
decelerating.
D Horizontal: speed has decreased to zero – the train was stationary.
2.3 Understanding acceleration
Finding distance moved
distance = area under speed–time graph
The distance you travel is:
distance moved
= 10 m/s× 20 s = 200 m
This is the same as the
shaded area under the
graph. This rectangle is 20
s long and 10 m/s high, so
its area is 10 m/s× 20 s =
200 m.
2.3 Understanding acceleration
Speed and velocity, vectors and scalars
In physics, the words speed and velocity have different
meanings, although they are closely related: velocity is
an object’s speed in a particular stated direction.

So, we could say that an aircraft has a speed of 200 m/s

but a velocity of 200 m/s due north. We must give the
direction of the velocity or the information is incomplete.

Velocity is an example of a vector quantity. Vectors

have both magnitude (size) and direction. Speed is an
example of a scalar quantity. Scalars only have
magnitude.
 Summary
You should know:
◆ about graphs of distance–time and
speed–time
◆ the meaning of acceleration
◆ about vector and scalar quantities,
speed and velocity
◆ that acceleration is a vector quantity.