Chapter 2

Motion in One Dimension

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Dynamics and Kinematics
„ Dynamics is a branch of physics
involving the motion of an object
„ Kinematics is a part of dynamics
„ In kinematics, you are interested in
the description of motion
„ Not concerned with the cause of the
motion

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Quantities in Motion
„ Any motion of an object involves
four concepts
„ Position of the object
„ Displacement of the object
„ Velocity of the object
„ Acceleration of the oblect
„ All these quantities generally may
change with time

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 Position change=motion
„ Position is defined as
a coordinate in a
reference frame
„ Motion is change of
position with time
„ In this chapter we
discuss motion in
one dimension,
along a straight line
„ usually select along
x- or y-axis

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Displacement
„ Defined as the change in position
„ Δx ≡ x − x
f i
„ f stands for final and i stands for initial
„ usually use Δy if vertical
„ In principle, may select X-axis as vertical
if want, the name does not matter
„ Units are meters (m) in SI

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 Vector and Scalar
Quantities
„ Vector quantities have both magnitude (size)
and direction
„ For notation of vectors usually use bold and an arrow
r
over the letter: A
„ Displacement is a vector, pointing from initial position

to final
„ + or – sign is sufficient to show the direction of

vectors for one dimensional motion, considered in

this chapter: since we consider only one dimensional
+ means vector pointing in the same direction as a
selected axis, - means pointing opposite to axis
- +
direction of axis
„ Scalar quantities are described by magnitude
only (no direction) 6
Displacement Isn’t
Distance
„ The displacement of an object is
not the same as the distance it
travels
„ Example: Throw a ball straight up
and then catch it at the same point
you released it
„ The distance is twice the height
„ The displacement is zero

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Speed
„ The average speed of an object is defined as
the total distance traveled divided by the total
time elapsed
total distance
Average speed =
total time
d
v =
t
„ Speed is a scalar quantity, has no direction
„ SI units are m/s

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Velocity

„ The average velocity is rate at

which the displacement occurs
Δx xf − xi
v average = =
Δt tf − ti
„ Usually select ti = 0
„ Velocity is a vector (has a
direction, same as displacement)
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Velocity continued
„ Direction of average velocity will be the
same as the direction of the
displacement (time interval is always
positive)
„ + or - is sufficient to show the direction
„ Units of velocity are m/s (SI)
„ Other units (e.g. ft/s) may be given in a
problem, but generally will need to be
converted to these

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Speed vs. Velocity

„ Cars on both paths have the same average

velocity since they had the same displacement
in the same time interval
„ The car on the blue path will have a greater
average speed since the distance it traveled is
larger
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Graphical Interpretation of
Velocity
„ Velocity can be determined from a
position-time graph
„ Average velocity equals the slope
of the line joining the initial and
final positions
„ An object moving with a constant
velocity will have a graph that is a
straight line

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 Average Velocity, Constant
„ The straight line
indicates constant
velocity
„ The slope of the Δx
line is the value
of the average Δt
velocity, use
Δx xf − xi
v average = =
Δt tf − ti

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 Average Velocity, Non
Constant

Δx
„ The average Δt
velocity is the
slope of the blue
line joining two
points, use
Δx xf − xi
v average = =
Δt tf − ti
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Instantaneous Velocity
„ The limit of the average velocity as
the time interval becomes very
short, approaching zero
lim Δx
v ≡ Δt → 0
Δt
„ The instantaneous velocity
indicates the velocity at every
point of time

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Instantaneous Velocity on
a Graph
„ The slope of the line tangent to the
position-vs.-time graph is defined
to be the instantaneous velocity at
that time
„ The instantaneous speed is
defined as the magnitude of the
instantaneous velocity

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Instantaneous velocity=slope of the tangent

Δx

Δt

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Acceleration
„ When velocity changes with time (e.g. increasing or
decreasing), an acceleration is present (is non-zero)
„ Acceleration is the rate of change of the velocity:

Δv v f − v i
a= =
Δt tf − ti

„ Units are m/s² (SI)

„ Instantaneous acceleration is the limit of the average
acceleration as the time interval goes to zero.
„ Uniform acceleration means that acceleration a=const
(not changing with time)
„ Acceleration is a vector quantity (has direction, may be
positive or negative for motion along a straight line)

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Acceleration in case of
uniform (constant) Velocity

„ Uniform velocity (shown by red arrows

maintaining the same size)
„ Acceleration equals zero, since Δv=0
Δv v f − v i
a= =
Δt tf − ti
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Velocity and Acceleration are vectors!
Both have directions, may be positive or
negative!

„ When the sign of the velocity and

the acceleration are the same
(either positive or negative), then
the speed is increasing
„ When the sign of the velocity and
the acceleration are in the opposite
directions, the speed is decreasing

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 Velocity and Acceleration:
constant acceleration in the same
direction as velocity

„ Velocity and acceleration are in the same

direction
„ Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain
the same length)
„ Velocity is increasing (red arrows are getting
longer)

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 Velocity and Acceleration:
case of opposite directions

„ Acceleration and velocity are in opposite

directions
„ Velocity is positive and acceleration is
negative (axis goes from left to right)
„ Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain
the same length)
„ Velocity is decreasing (red arrows are getting
shorter)
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Graphical Interpretation of
Acceleration
„ Average acceleration is the slope
of the line connecting the initial
and final velocities on a velocity-
time graph
„ Instantaneous acceleration is the
slope of the tangent to the curve
of the velocity-time graph

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Average Acceleration

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Most important equations for Chapter 2
as summarized in your book

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Kinematic Equations
(discussion)
„ Used in situations with uniform
acceleration for motion along straight
line
v = vo + at
1
Δx = vt = (vo + v ) t
2
1 2 (alternative formula for Δx)
Δx = vot + at
2
2 2
v = vo + 2aΔx
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Notes on the equations (1)
v = vo + at
„ Shows velocity as a function of
acceleration and time
„ Use when you don’t know and
aren’t asked to find the
displacement

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Graphical Interpretation of
the Equation v = vo + at

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 Notes on the equasions (2)
⎛ vo + vf ⎞
Δx = v average t=⎜ ⎟t
⎝ 2 ⎠
„ Gives displacement as a function
of velocity and time
„ Use when you don’t know and
aren’t asked for the acceleration

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Notes on the equations (3)
1 2
Δx = v o t + at
2
„ Gives displacement as a function
of time, velocity and acceleration
„ Use when you don’t know and
aren’t asked to find the final
velocity

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Notes on the equations (4)
2 2
v = v + 2aΔx
o

„ Gives velocity as a function of

acceleration and displacement
„ Use when you don’t know and
aren’t asked for the time

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Problem-Solving Hints
„ Read the problem
„ Draw a diagram
„ Choose a coordinate system, label initial
and final points, indicate a positive direction
for velocities and accelerations
„ Label all quantities, be sure all the units
are consistent
„ Convert if necessary
„ Choose the appropriate kinematic
equation (or N equations for N
unknowns)

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Problem-Solving Hints,
cont
„ Solve for the unknowns
„ You may have to solve two equations for
two unknowns etc.
„ Check your results
„ Estimate and compare
„ Check units
„ Use common sense! If the result does
not make sense it is likely incorrect

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Free Fall
„ All objects moving under the
influence of gravity only are said
to be in free fall
„ All objects falling near the earth’s
surface fall with a constant
acceleration

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Galileo Galilei
„ 1564 - 1642
„ Galileo formulated the
laws that govern the
motion of objects in free
fall
„ Verified the laws by
experiments: dropping
objects from the leaning
tower in Pisa, Italy
„ “Father” of experimental
science, understood that
it is not enough just to
think…

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Acceleration due to
Gravity
„ Acceleration due to gravity is usually
noted as g
„ Magnitude of g = 9.80 m/s²
„ When estimating, use g ≈ 10 m/s2
„ g is always directed downward
„ toward the center of the earth
„ Ignoring air resistance and assuming gravity
doesn’t vary with altitude over short vertical
distances, acceleration in free fall is equal to
g = 9.80 m/s² and does not change

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Free Fall – an object dropped with
zero initial velocity
„ Initial velocity is zero
„ Use the kinematic y
equations
„ Usually use y instead
of x since vertical
vo= 0
„ Let up be positive a=g
direction of y
„ Acceleration is
negative (since
opposite to the
direction of y-axis) V
g = -9.80 m/s2

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 Free Fall – an object
thrown downward
„ a = g = -9.80 m/s2
„ Initial velocity ≠ 0 y
„ With upward being
positive, initial
velocity will be
negative

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Free Fall -- object thrown
upward
y
„ Initial velocity is v=0
upward, so positive
„ The instantaneous
velocity at the
V
maximum height is
zero
V
„ a = g = -9.80 m/s2
everywhere in the
motion

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Thrown upward, useful hints
„ In case distance up and down the
same:
„ Then tup = tdown
„ And the final velocity v = -vo

„ This is “obvious” from the symmetry of

going up and down
„ Also may be directly calculated from
kinematic equations

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 Non-symmetrical
Free Fall
„ For understanding
helps to divide the
motion into
segments
„ Possibilities include:
„ Upward and
downward portions
„ The symmetrical
portion back to the
release point and then
the non-symmetrical
portion

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 Combination Motion (an example)

• first stage: rocket acceleration

+gravity

• gravity only afterwards

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