UNIFORMLY

ACCELERATED
MOTION
UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED MOTION
Uniformly Accelerated Motion is the
motion of a point such that its tangential
acceleration w is constant. In the case of
uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion,
the point's acceleration w is constant. The
speed ? of the point t sec after uniform
acceleration begins and the point's
distance s from its initial position are
determined for uniformly accelerated
motion by the equations.
the motion of a point such that its tangential
acceleration wτ is constant; in the case of
uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion, the
point’s acceleration w is constant. The speed ν of
the point t sec after uniform acceleration begins
and the point’s distance s from its initial position
—s being measured along the point’s path—are
determined for uniformly accelerated motion by
the equations
ν = ν0 + wτt s = v0t + wτt2/2
where ν0 is the initial speed of the point. When ν
and wT are of the same sign, acceleration occurs;
when they are of opposite sign, deceleration
occurs.
When a rigid body undergoes uniformly
accelerated translational motion, the
above definitions apply to each point of
the body. A body may also undergo
uniformly accelerated rotation about a
fixed axis; in this case, the body’s angular
acceleration; ε is constant, and the angular
speed ω and angular displacement ɸ of the
body are
ω = ω0 + ∊ t ɸ = ω0t t + ∊t2/2
EXAMPLE PROBLEMS
PROBLEM NO.1
From rest, a car accelerated at 8 m/s 2 for
10 seconds.

a) What is the position of the car at the

end of the 10 seconds?

b) What is the velocity of the car at the

end of the 10 seconds?
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO.1
a) The car starts from rest therefore the initial speed u = 0. Nothing
is said about the initial position and we therefore assume it is
equal to 0. Hence the position x is given by the equation

x = (1/2) a t 2

where a is the acceleration (=8 m/s2) and t is the period of time

between initial and final positions

x = (1/2)8 (10)2 = 400 m

b) The velocity v of the car at the end of the 10 seconds is given

by

v = a t = 8 * 10 = 80 m/s
PROBLEM NO. 2
With an initial velocity of 20 km/h, a car
accelerated at 8 m/s2 for 10 seconds.

a) What is the position of the car at the

end of the 10 seconds?

b) What is the velocity of the car at the

end of the 10 seconds?
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 2
PROBLEM NO. 3
A car accelerates uniformly from 0 to 72
km/h in 11.5 seconds.

a) What is the acceleration of the car in

m/s2?

b) What is the position of the car by the

time it reaches the velocity of 72 km/h?
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 3
PROBLEM NO. 4
Problem 4: An object is thrown straight
down from the top of a building at a speed
of 20 m/s. It hits the ground with a speed
of 40 m/s.

a) How high is the building?

b) How long was the object in the air?

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 4
PROBLEM NO. 5
A train brakes from 40 m/s to a stop over
a distance of 100 m.

a) What is the acceleration of the train?

b) How much time does it take the train to

stop?
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 5
a) We are given the initial velocity u = 40 m/s, the final velocity v = 0 (train stops)
and the distance. Hence the formula that relates these 3 quantities and the
acceleration is given by
v2 = u 2 + 2 a x
02 = 402 + 2 a (100)
Solve for the acceleration a
a = -1600 / 200 = - 8 m/s2

b) There two ways to find the time:

1) Use: x = (1/2)(v + u) t
100 = 0.5(0 + 40) t
Solve for t: t = 5 seconds.

2) Use x = (1/2) a t2 + ut
100 = 0.5 ( - 8) t2 + 40t
4 t2 - 40 t + 100 = 0
4 (t2 - 10 t + 25) = 0
4(t - 5)2 = 0
t = 5 seconds.
PROBLEM NO. 6
A boy on a bicycle increases his velocity
from 5 m/s to 20 m/s in 10 seconds.

a) What is the acceleration of the bicycle?

b) What distance was covered by the

bicycle during the 10 seconds?
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 6
PROBLEM NO. 7
a) How long does it take an airplane to
take off if it needs to reach a speed on the
ground of 350 km/h over a distance of
600 meters (assume the plane starts from
rest)?
b) What is the acceleration of the airplane
over the 600 meters?
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 7
a) In this problem the initial velocity u = 0 (assumed because it is not
given) , the final velocity v = 350 km/h and the distance x = 600 meters
= 0.6 km
The relationship between the give quantities is:
x = (1/2)(v + u) t
0.6 = 0.5 (350 + 0) t
Solve for t
t = (0.6 / 175) hours = 12.3 seconds
b) The acceleration a of the airplane is given by
a = (v - u) / t = 350 km/h / 12.3 s
Convert 350 km/h into m/s
350 km/h = 350,000 m / 3,600 s = 97.2 m/s
a = 97.2 m/s / 12.3 s = 8 m/s2 (to the nearest unit)
PROBLEM NO. 8
Starting from a distance of 20 meters to
the left of the origin and at a velocity of
10 m/s, an object accelerates to the right
of the origin for 5 seconds at 4 m/s 2. What
is the position of the object at the end of
the 5 seconds of acceleration?
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 8
a) In this problem, we may consider that the
direction of the object is the positive direction and
the initial position x0 = -20 meters (to the left of the
origin), the initial velocity u = 10 m/s, the
acceleration a = 4 m/s2 and the time is t = 5
seconds. The position is given by

x = (1/2) a t2 + u t + x0

= 0.5 * 4 * (5)2 + 10 * 5 - 20 = 80 meters to the

right of the origin.
PROBLEM NO. 9
What is the smallest distance, in meters,
needed for an airplane touching the
runway with a velocity of 360 km/h and
an acceleration of -10 m/s2 to come to
rest?
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 9
a) In this problem the initial velocity u = 360 km/h,
the final velocity v = 0 (rest) and the acceleration a
= -10 m/s2. The distance x can be calculated using
the formula

v 2 = u2 + 2 a x

Convert 360 km/h into m/s: 360 km/h = (360 000

m) /(3600 s) = 100 m/s

x = ( v2 - u2 ) / (2 a) = (0 - 10,000) / (-20) = 500

meters
PROBLEM NO. 10
To approximate the height of a water
well, Martha and John drop a heavy rock
into the well. 8 seconds after the rock is
dropped, they hear a splash caused by the
impact of the rock on the water. What is
the height of the well. (Speed of sound in
air is 340 m/s).
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 10
a) In this problem we have:
1) a rock was dropped down the well and is uniformly accelerated downward due to
gravity. If h is the height of the well and t is the time taken by the rock to reach the bottom
of the well, then we have
h = (1/2)(9.8) t 2

2) After the splash, the sound travels up the well at a constant speed of 340 m/s. Again the
same height h of the well is given by
h = 340 *(8 - t) : 8 - t is the time taken for the sount to travel from bottom to top where the
sound is heard.

The above equations give:

(1/2)(9.8) t2 = 340 *(8 - t)
4.9 t2 + 340 t - 2720 = 0

Solve for t, two solutions:

t = 7.24 s and the second solution is negative and is not valid.

The height h of the well is calculated using one of the above equations:
h = 340 *(8 - t) = 340 *(8 - 7.24) = 257 meters (approximated to the the nearest meter)
PROBLEM NO. 11
A rock is thrown straight up and reaches a
height of 10 m.

a) How long was the rock in the air?

b) What is the initial velocity of the rock?

 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 11
 a) In this problem the rock has an initial velocity u. When
the rock reaches a height of 10 m, it returns down to earth
and the the velocity v = 0 when x = 10 meters. Hence

v = -9.8 t + u
0 = -9.8 t + u
u = 9.8 t
x = (1/2)(u + v) t
10 = 0.5 (9.8 t + 0) t
= 4.9 t2
Solve for t: t = 1.42 seconds

b) u = 9.8 t = 9.8 * 1.24 = 14 m/s

PROBLEM NO. 12
A car accelerates from rest at 1.0 m/s 2 for
20.0 seconds along a straight road . It then
moves at a constant speed for half an
hour. It then decelerates uniformly to a
stop in 30.0 s. Find the total distance
covered by the car.
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 12
a) The car goes through 3 stages:

stage 1: acceleration a = 1, initial velocity = 0, t = 20 s. Hence the

distance x is given by
x = (1/2) a t2 = (1/2) (1) 202 = 200 meters

stage 2: constant speed v is the speed at the end of stage 1.

v = a t = 1 * 20 = 20 m/s
x = v t = 20 m/s * (1/2 hour) = 20 m/s * 1800 s = 36,000 meters

stage 3: deceleration to a stop, hence u = 20 m/s and v = 0 (stop)

x = (1/2)(u + v) t = (1/2)(20 + 0) 30 = 300 meters

total distance = 200 + 36,000 + 300 = 36,500 meters.

PROBLEM NO. 13
A car was travelling at a speed of 70km/h,
the driver saw a rabbit on the road and
slammed on the breaks. After 6.0 seconds
the car came to a halt, how far did the car
travel from the point where the brakes
were first pressed to the point where the
car stopped?
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 13
 We are given:
Vi = 70km/h = 19.4 m/s
Vf = 0km/h
t = 6s
d=?
Our formula for distance is d = 1/2 ( Vf + Vi ) × t
d = 1/2 ( 19.4 + 0 ) × 6
d = 58.332
 The car stopped after 58 metres.
This car has very bad brakes, as 58 metres is a very long
distance to come to a halt.
PROBLEM NO. 14
Bill jogs at 6.0km/h, he then decides to
accelerate into a light run.
Bill accelerates at 0.030km/s² as he runs
through a distance of 40m
What is Bill's final speed?
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 14
 Firstwe convert our given information into a uniform set of
magnitudes, metres and seconds. We are given:
Vi = 6.0km/h = 1.6m/s
Vf = ?
d = 40m
a = 0.003km/s² = 0.30m/s²
 Lets rearrange our uniform acceleration equations to eliminate the
time, which we are not given.
2da = Vf² - Vi²
Vf² = 2da + Vi²
Vf² = 2(40)(0.3) + 1.6²
Vf² = 26.6
Vf = 5.2m/s
Vf = 18.5km/h
 After accelerating Bill ends up running at 18 km/h.
PROBLEM NO. 15
In performing a dismount off the high bar
(3.048 meters above the ground), a
gymnast's center of gravity reaches a
height above the bar, of 2.5 m. Find:
a. What was the gymnast's takeoff
velocity?
b. What was the velocity of the
gymnast at landing?
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM NO. 15