POINT KINEMATICS

We define the position of a point in space by specifying its coordinates.

The motion of a point is a change in the position of the point with respect to time (divided by
time).

The velocity of a point tells you how quickly the position of the point changes.
The acceleration of a point tells you how quickly the velocity of the point changes.
The average velocity is the vector:
△𝑠⃗
𝑣⃗𝑎𝑣𝑔 = △𝑡 where △ 𝑠⃗ = 𝑠⃗ − 𝑠⃗0 △ 𝑡 = 𝑡 − 𝑡0
The average acceleration is the vector:
⃗⃗
△𝑣
𝑎⃗𝑎𝑣𝑔 = where △ 𝑣⃗ = 𝑣⃗ − 𝑣⃗0 △ 𝑡 = 𝑡 − 𝑡0
△𝑡

𝑡0 – starting moment (initial moment) 𝑡0 = 0

𝑡 – final moment of time
△ 𝑡 – time increment (time interval)
𝑠0 – coordinates of the point at time 𝑡0 = 0 (initial position)
𝑠 – coordinates of the point at time 𝑡 (final position)
△ 𝑠 – increase of the distance
𝑣 – velocity of the point
𝑎 – acceleration of the point
Uniform point motion - if the point velocity is constant
△𝑠 𝑠−𝑠0 𝑠−𝑠0
𝑣 = △𝑡 = = = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡
𝑡−𝑡0 𝑡

𝑠 = 𝑠0 + 𝑣𝑡 – equation of uniform motion

Uniformly variable point motion - if the point acceleration is constant
△𝑣 𝑣−𝑣0 𝑣−𝑣0
𝑎= = = = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡
△𝑡 𝑡−𝑡0 𝑡

v  v0  at – equation of velocity in uniformly variable motion


 1 2
 s  s0  v0t  2 at – equation of uniformly variable motion
𝑠0 , 𝑣0 , 𝑎 – these quantities can be positive or negative
Circular point motion - it can be uniform or uniformly variable
𝑣 – the point velocity, always tangent to the circular path
 𝑣2
𝑎𝑛 = – normal acceleration, always directed towards the center of the path curvature
𝑟

𝑎𝜏 – tangential acceleration, always tangential to the path

𝑎⃗𝜏 ⊥ 𝑎⃗𝑛 – always
𝑠 = 𝜙𝑟, 𝑣 = 𝜔𝑟, 𝑎𝜏 = 𝜀𝑟, 𝑎𝑛 = 𝜔2 𝑟
𝜔 – angular velocity of the radius 𝑟
𝜀 – angular acceleration of the radius 𝑟
𝜙 – rotation angle of the radius 𝑟
𝜙 = 𝜙0 + 𝜔𝑡 – uniform motion of the radius 𝑟
   0   t – angular velocity of the radius 𝑟 in uniformly variable motion

 1 2
   0   0 t  2  t – equation of uniformly variable motion of the radius 𝑟

Vertical throw
1
𝑦 = 𝑣0 𝑡 − 2 𝑔𝑡 2 – motion equation
𝑣 = 𝑣0 − 𝑔𝑡 – velocity equation
𝑚
𝑔 ≈ 10 𝑠2 – standard acceleration due to gravity

Horizontal throw
𝑥 = 𝑣0 𝑡
1 } equations of motion
𝑦 = 𝐻 − 2 𝑔𝑡 2
𝑣𝑥 = 𝑣0
𝑣𝑦 = −𝑔𝑡} velocity equations

𝐿 – throw range

Oblique throw
𝑥 = 𝑣0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛼 𝑡
1 } equations of motion
𝑦 = 𝑣0 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 𝑡 − 2 𝑔𝑡 2
𝑣𝑥 = 𝑣0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛼
𝑣𝑦 = 𝑣0 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 − 𝑔𝑡} velocity equations

𝐻 – maximum throw height

𝐿 – throw range

Exercises (problems)
𝑘𝑚
1. Two vehicles move along the same road. Vehicle A moves at speed 𝑣1 = 50 , vehicle B
ℎ
𝑘𝑚
at speed 𝑣2 = 30 . On the road there are two towns M1 and M2 distant from each other
ℎ
by 100 𝑘𝑚. Determine the distance between vehicles:
a) if they have left M1 at the same time and are moving in the same direction;
b) if they have left M1 at the same time and are moving in opposite directions.
Vehicle A leaves M1 in the direction of M2, vehicle B leaves M2 at the same moment and
they are moving in the same direction. Determine where and when they will meet.
𝑘𝑚
2. Vehicle A started from M1 in the direction of M2 at a speed of 𝑣1 = 70 and vehicle B
ℎ
𝑘𝑚
from M2 in the direction of M1 at a speed of 𝑣2 = 50 . The distance between the towns
ℎ
is 240 𝑘𝑚. Where and when will the vehicles meet?
3. Mark on the drawing the position and velocity vector of a point at times 𝑡0 = 0, 𝑡1 =
1 [𝑠], 𝑡2 = 2 [𝑠] if:
a) 𝑠 = 2 + 3𝑡 [𝑚]
b) 𝑠 = −2 + 3𝑡 [𝑚]
c) 𝑠 = 2 − 3𝑡 [𝑚]
d) 𝑠 = −2 − 3𝑡 [𝑚]
𝑘𝑚
4. A train with a length of 𝑙 = 120 𝑚 is moving at speed 𝑣1 = 50 . How long will this
ℎ
train pass a man:
a) standing by the track;
𝑘𝑚
b) moving at a speed of 𝑣2 = 10 in the direction opposite to the train speed.
ℎ

5. The vehicle traveled a certain distance in

50 𝑚𝑖𝑛. at the speed shown in the chart.
Determine its average speed.
 𝑘𝑚
6. The heavy vehicle departed from a standstill at the speed of 27 , and 3 𝑚𝑖𝑛. later a
ℎ
messenger on a motorcycle followed him to provide information. Calculate the time and
distance from the stopping point for the messenger to catch up with the vehicle, if the
𝑘𝑚
motorcyclist's speed was 72 ℎ .
7. The boat sailing up the river (against the current) from one town to another, distant about
30 𝑘𝑚, covers this distance in 45 𝑚𝑖𝑛., and sailing down the river (with the current) – in
30 𝑚𝑖𝑛. Calculate the speed of the boat relative to water and the speed of the river current.
8. The ferry is sailing across the river from Marina A to B, which are on one line
𝑘𝑚
perpendicular to the river current. The speed of the river current is 𝑣𝑟 = 2 ℎ , the speed of
𝑘𝑚
the ferry in relation to water is 𝑣𝑝 = 4 . At what angle to the shore line the ferry should
ℎ
sail to the opposite marina, if the width of the river 𝑑 = 100√3 𝑚.
9. The vehicle started and, in uniformly accelerated (uniformly variable) motion, traveled the
𝑚
distance 𝑠 = 200 𝑚, reaching the final speed 𝑣 = 10 𝑠 . Calculate the acceleration of the
vehicle and the time at which it happened.
𝑚
10. A vehicle driving at a speed 𝑣0 = 30 braked in time 𝑡 = 15 𝑠. Calculate the braking
𝑠
distance.
𝑚
11. The point moves from rest with an acceleration 𝑎 = 4 𝑠2 . Calculate the average speed in
the first 5 seconds from 𝑡0 to 𝑡1 , and in the next 5 seconds from 𝑡1 to 𝑡2 , if 𝑡0 = 0, 𝑡1 =
5 𝑠, 𝑡2 = 10 𝑠.
12. A sandbag was detached from the balloon at a height of 𝐻 = 500 𝑚 and it falls freely.
a) How long will the bag fall free?
b) At what speed will it hit the ground?
c) What speed will it have at half height?
d) Determine its position and speed at the time 𝑡1 = 5 𝑠.
𝑚
13. The stone was thrown up at the speed 𝑣0 = 20 𝑠 . Calculate the height at which it will rise
and the time it takes to climb. How long will the stone fall from this height and what
speed will it be when it falls?
14. Solve the Galileo’s problem: from point A lying on the
circumference of a circle of diameter 𝑑, the chords were drawn
in a vertical plane. Taking each of them as an inclined plane (a
ramp), calculate how long it will take the body to slide from
point A without friction before it reaches the circumference of
the circle.

𝑚
15. At the moment when the bus, driving steadily with the speed 𝑣1 = 20 𝑠 , was passing the
𝑚
stationary car, it started with the acceleration 𝑎 = 2 𝑠2 in pursuit of the bus. When, where
and at what speed will the car catch up with the bus?
16. What is the normal acceleration of a car moving on a curve with a radius of curvature 𝑟 =
𝑚
200 𝑚 at a speed of 𝑣0 = 10 𝑠 ?
17. The carousel does 𝑛 = 30 revolutions per minute. Calculate the linear velocity and normal
acceleration of the person sitting on the carousel. The radius of the track on which a
person moves is 𝑟 = 4 𝑚.
18. The railway wagon was pushed onto a ramp with a gradient (slope) of 3% at a speed 𝑣0 =
𝑘𝑚
18 ℎ . Calculate the distance the wagon will travel until it stops.
𝑚
19. The projectile was fired horizontally at a velocity of 𝑣0 = 2√10 𝑠 from a height of 𝐻 =
100 𝑚. Determine the time after which the projectile will fall to the ground and the angle
of inclination of the velocity vector to the vertical when the projectile touches the ground.
20. At what angle to the horizontal do you need to throw the body in order for the throw range
to be equal to the highest height the body will rise?
𝑚
21. The projectile was fired at an angle of 𝛼 = 60∘ to the horizontal at a speed of 400 𝑠 .
Determine the maximum height at which the projectile will rise, the time until if falls, the
throw range, and the speed at which the projectile will hit the ground.