Acceleration

(and math)
Equations of Motion

• This equation is only useful if there is no

acceleration (v is constant)
Equations of Motion
• If there is an acceleration then the equations to
describe the motion are as follows:
Equations of Motion
Equations of Motion
Motion Question Checklist
• Uniform motion or acceleration? [which equation(s)]
• List the five variables
• Fill in three of them
• implied
• signs
• convert
• Choose the equation [by what is not in the equation]
• Solve
• Check answer
• Sign
• Reasonable
• Units
• Direction
What’s Missing?
Motion Example #1
• An athlete accelerates uniformly from rest along a
track at 0.9 m/s2 for 10 s. What is her final velocity?
Motion Example #2
• A baseball travelling at 30 m/s strikes a catcher’s
mitt and comes to a stop while moving 10 cm with
the mitt. Calculate the average stopping
acceleration of the ball as it is stopping.
 Motion Example #3
• A car travelling along a highway must reduce its speed to
12 m/s in 3.0 s. If the distance travelled during that time
is 60 m, what is the car’s average acceleration?
 u n d
k gro
e b ac
So m Astronomers discover the first habitable planet on
info Sept. 30 2010
th
(Gliese 581g)

It is in the goldilocks zone

 u n d
k gro
e b ac
So m
i nfo All matter in the universe has a speed limit of
3x108 m/s

At that speed it would take 20 years to get to

Gliese 581g
But for people there is another problem…

…how do we safely get to that speed?

 # 4
pl e
m
a
E x
If we can acceleration
comfortably at 1g
(9.8m/s2), how long
would it take a
spaceship starting
from rest to reach a
speed of 3x108 m/s
Rockets
• There is a difference between rockets with people
and rockets stuff.
Rockets
Good Hollywood
www.nasa.gov/realmartians
When?
Sending Humans to Gliese 581g)
Your Turn…

•Pg 44 #1
•Pg 45 #2
•Pg 46 #4,5
•Pg 47 #6