VELOCITY

 Velocity is a speed measured in a specified direction.

 Speed only describes how fast something is moving
 Velocity describes both speed AND direction!
 Speed is the rate of change of distance with time. It has magnitude but no direction.

Average Speed

- The total distance travelled by the body in total time is the average speed.
- The distance the body moves, its displacement in space, divided by the time required for the
motion.
- It is a scalar quantity and the unit is m/s.

Average speed = Total Distance

Total Time
v=d
t
Average velocity

- It is the ratio of total displacement to total time. Its direction is the same as the direction of the
moving object.
- It is a vector quantity and has units of m/s.

Average velocity = Total Displacement

Total Time
v=d
t
Examples

Problem 1: A car travels 22 km south, 12 km west, and 14 km north in half an hour.

a) What is the average speed of the car?

b) What is the final displacement of the car?
c) What is the average velocity of the car?
 A. Given: v = ?
v=d
d = 14 km + 22 km + 12 km t
v = 48 km
= 48 km 0.5 hr
= 96 km/hr
t = 0.5 hr / 30 minutes

B. The displacement is the distance between the starting point and the final point and is the
hypotenuse DA of the right triangle DAE and is calculated using Pythagora's theorem.

AE = 22 - 14 = 8 km

DA2 = AE2 + ED2 = 82 + 122 = 64 + 144 = 208

DA = √208 = 4√13 km

C. Given: v = ?
v=d
d = 4√13 km t
v = 4√13 km
t = 0.5 hr 0.5 hr
= 28.8 km/hr

Problem 2: If I can walk at an average speed of 5 km/h, how many miles I can walk
in two hours?

Given: v = 5 km/hr v=d

t
d=? d = vt
= 5 km/hr (2 hrs)
t = 2 hrs = 10 km

Problem 3: A man walks 7 km in 2 hours and 2 km in 1 hour in the same direction.

a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey?

b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey?

A. Given: v = ?
v=d
t
d = 7 km + 2 km = 9 km
v = 9 km
t = 2 hrs + 1 hr = 3 hrs 3 hrs
= 3 km/hr
B. Given: v = ?
v=d
d = 7 km + 2 km = 9 km t
v = 9 km
t = 2 hrs + 1 hr = 3 hrs 3 hrs
= 3 km/hr

Problem 4: A man walks 7 km East in 2 hours and then 2.5 km West in 1 hour.

a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey?

b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey?

A. Given: v = ? v=d
t
d = 7 km + 2.5 km = 9.5 km v = 9.5 km
3 hrs
t = 2 hrs + 1 hr = 3 hrs = 3.2 km/hr

B. Given: v = ?
v=d
d = 7 km - 2.5 km = 4.5 km t
v = 4.5 km
t = 2 hrs + 1 hr = 3 hrs 3 hrs
= 1.5 km/hr

Problem 5: An automobile traveled by a circuitous path for a time of 3 hrs and

covered a total distance of 180 miles.

a) What is the average speed in feet per second?

b) If at the end of the trip the car was exactly 60 miles north of its starting point, what was the
average velocity?
v=d
C. Given: v = ? t
v = 180 miles
d = 180 miles 3 hrs
= 60 miles/hr x 5280 ft x 1 hr
t = 3 hrs 1 mile 3600 sec
v = 88 ft/s
 ACCELERATION
 Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time.
 Its unit is m/s²

o Can:

 Increase in speed

 Decrease in speed

 Change in direction

To calculate the acceleration of an object, divide the change in velocity by the time.

a = vf-vi Acceleration = Change in velocity

Time elapsed
t
Acceleration = final velocity- original velocity
time

Problem 1: A race car sits at the starting line at Atco raceway. The light turns
green and the driver presses the pedal to the metal. The velocity changes from 0 m/s to
60m/s in 6 seconds. What is the acceleration of the car?

Given: Initial velocity (vi): 0 m/s

A = vf - vi
Final velocity (vf): 60 m/s t

Time: 6 seconds A = vf - vi
t
Acceleration: ?
A= 60 m/s – 0 m/s = 10 m/s2
6s
 Problem 2: As a roller-coaster car starts down a slope, its speed is 4 m/s. But 3
seconds later, at the bottom, its speed is 22 m/s. What is its average acceleration?

Given: Initial velocity (vi): 4 m/s a = vf - vi

t
Final velocity (vf): 22 m/s
a = vf - vi
Time: 3 s t
Acceleration: ? a = 22 m/s – 4 m/s = 6 m/s2
3s

Problem 3: If a speeding train hits the brakes and it takes the train 39 seconds to go
from 54.8 m/s to 12 m/s what is the acceleration?

Given: Initial velocity (vi): 54.8 m/s

a = vf - vi
Final velocity (vf): 12 m/s t

Time: 39 s a = 12 m/s – 54.8 m/s

39 s
Acceleration: ?
a = - 42.8 m/s
39 s
= -1.097 m/s2

(This train is decelerating.)

Problem 4: Starting with a constant velocity of 50 km/hr, a car accelerates for 32

seconds @ an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2. What is the velocity of the car @ the end of the
period of 32 seconds of acceleration?

Given: Initial velocity (vi): 50 km/hr

a = vf - vi
Final velocity (vf): 12 m/s t

Time: 32 s at = vf - vi
at + vi - vf
Acceleration: 0.5 m/s2 vf = at+ vi
= 0.5 m/s2 (32s)=50 km/hr
* 0.5m/s × 1km × 3600s
1000m 1hr

= 1.8km/hr (32s) = 50 km/hr

s
= 57.6 km/hr + 50km/hr
Vf= 107.6 km/h
 Problem 5: A satellite’s original velocity is 10,000 m/s. After 60 seconds it’s going
5,000 m/s. What is the acceleration?

Given: Initial velocity (vi): 10,000 m/s

a = vf - vi
Final velocity (vf): 5,000 m/s t

Time: 60 s a = 5,000 m/s – 10, 000 m/s

60 s
Acceleration: ? = -83.33 m/s2

*This satellite is decelerating

UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED MOTION

 Uniformly Accelerated Motion ss a motion of an object where the acceleration is constant or it
remains uniform.

Formulas:

1. s = ½ (vf - vi) t s = distance/displacement

2. Vf - vi = at Vf = final velocity

3. V = vf - vi Vi = initial velocity

T a = acceleration

4. s = vit + ½ at2 t = time

5. 2as = vf 2- vi2
Examples:

1. 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 1:

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 = u2 + 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.
2. From rest, 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 2:

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
3. 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/s2. What is the position of the object at the
end of the 5 seconds of acceleration?

Solution to Problem 3:

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.

4. 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 Problem3:

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

v2 = 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

5. 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 5:

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)

RELATIVE VELOCITY
 Relative Velocity is the vector difference between the velocities of two bodies : the velocity of
a body with respect to another regarded as being at rest.

 Relative velocity = velocity of the body A – velocity of the body B

The equation is:

vAB = vA – vB

Where:
vAB: relative velocity of the body A respect body B
vA: velocity of the body A
vB: velocity of the body B
 Examples:

1. An airplane A flies to the north with a velocity of 350 m/s. An airplane B flies to the south with a
velocity of 500 m/s beside airplane A. Calculate:

a) The relative velocity to the airplane A respect airplane B

b) The relative velocity to the airplane A respect airplane B, but now both fly to the north
c) Compared the results

Answer:
We replace the data in the relative velocity equation:
a) vAB = vA – vB = 350 m/s – (- 500 m/s) = 850 m/s
We considered the velocity of the airplane B as negative since it flies on opposite direction to the
airplane A.
b) vAB = vA – vB = 350 m/s – 500 m/s = 150 m/s
In this case we considered the velocity of the airplane B as positive because it flies in the same
direction of the airplane A
c) For an observer on the airplane A in the first case, the relative velocity respect to the airplane B is
higher compared to the second case, since they are moving away very fast, while in the second
case they are approaching.

2. If rain is falling vertically at a speed of 35 m/s and a person is riding a bicycle at 12 m/s (east to west)
then the relative motion velocity of rain will be Vrb

Solution : Vrb = Vr – Vb = ( 35 – 12 ) m/s = 23 m/s

Tan θ = Vw / Vr = 12 / 35 = 0.343
θ = 19 degree
The person must hold an umbrella at an angle of 19 degrees with vertical towards the west to avoid
the rain.
3. A plane is traveling at velocity 100 km/hr, in the southward direction. It encounters wind traveling in
the west direction at a rate of 25 km/hr. Calculate the resultant velocity of the plane.

Solution: Given, the velocity of the wind = Vw = 25km / hr

The velocity of the plane = Va = 100 km / hr

The relative motion velocity of the plane with respect to the ground can be given as the angle
between the velocity of the wind and that of the plane is 90°. Using the Pythagorean theorem, the
resultant velocity can be calculated as,

R2= (100 km/hr)² + (25 km/hr)²

R2 = 10 000 km² / hr² + 625 km² / hr²
= 10 625 km² / hr²
Hence, R = 103.077 km/hr

Using trigonometry, the angle made by the resultant velocity with respect to the horizontal plane can
be given as,

Tan θ = ( window velocity / airplane velocity )

Tan θ =( 25/100 )
θ = tan −1(1/4)
θ =1/4 radians

4. A motorcycle travelling on the highway at a velocity of 120 km/h passes a car travelling at a
velocity of 90 km/h. From the point of view of a passenger on the car, what is the velocity of the
motorcycle?
Solution:
Let us represent the velocity of the motorcycle as VA and the velocity of the car as VB.
Now, the velocity of the motorcycle relative to the point of view of a passenger is given as
VAB = VA – VB
Substituting the values in the above equation, we get
VAB = 120 km/h – 90 km/h = 30 km/h
Hence, the velocity of the motorcycle relative to the passenger of the car is 30 km/h.
5. A plane, whose speed in still air is 250 km/h, flies directly from A to B, where B is 500 km from
A on a bearing of 060o. There is a constant wind of 80 km/h blowing from the south. Find, to the
nearest minute, the time taken for the flight.

Solution:
sin 60o/250 = sin xo/80
sin x = 0.277
x = 16.1o
θ = 180o – (60o + 16.1o) = 103.9o
sin 103.9o/VP = sin 16.1o/80
VP = 280.0 km/h
Time of flight = 500/280.0
= 1.79 hrs = 107 min