Linear Motion

Vectors vs Scalars
• Scalars are quantities that have a magnitude,
or numeric value which represents a size
– Ex:14m or 76mph.

• Vectors are quantities which have a

magnitude and a direction
– Ex:12m to the right or 32mph east.
 Describing how far you’ve
gone

• Distance→d • Displacement→D
• Scalar • Vector
• Standard units are • Standard units are
meters (m) meters (m)
• A measure of how far accompanied by
you have moved with direction.
respect to you (what a • A measure of how far
pedometer would you are with respect to
measure) where you started (or
change in position).
Distance vs Displacement

• The person, according

to a pedometer has
walked a total of 12m.
That is the distance
traveled.
• The person walking
stops where she
started, so her
displacement is zero.
 Measuring how fast you are
going

• Speed→S • Velocity→v
• Scalar • Vector
• Standard unit is m/s • Standard unit is m/s,
plus direction

distance d displacement D
S= = v= =
time t time t
 Velocity and Speed

• If it take the person 4 • For speed, d=12m

seconds to walk around
the square, what is her and t=4s, so v=3m/s
average speed and • For velocity, d=0
average velocity? and t=4s, so v=0m/s
 Acceleration

v v f − vi • Change in velocity
a = acceleration = =
t t over time.
• →delta. • Either hitting the gas
or hitting the break
• Means “change in”
counts as
and is calculated by
acceleration.
subtracting the initial
value from the final • Units are m/s2
value.
Using linear motion equations

• We always assume that acceleration is

constant.
• We use vector quantities, not scalar
quantities.
• We always use instantaneous velocities, not
average velocities
• Direction of a vector is indicated by sign.
Incorrect use of signs will result in incorrect
answers.
 Practice Problem
A car going 15m/s accelerates at 5m/s2
for 3.8s. How fast is it going at the end
of the acceleration?

First step is identifying the variables in

the equation and listing them.
 Practice Problem
A car going 15m/s accelerates at 5m/s2
for 3.8s. How fast is it going at the end
of the acceleration?
t=3.8s
vi=15m/s
a=5m/s2
vf=?
 Practice Problem 2

• A penguin slides down a glacier starting

from rest, and accelerates at a rate of
7.6m/s2. If it reaches the bottom of the
hill going 15m/s, how long does it take
to get to the bottom?
 Practice Problem 2

• A penguin slides down a glacier starting

from rest, and accelerates at a rate of
7.6m/s2. If it reaches the bottom of the
hill going 15m/s, how long does it take
to get to the bottom?
Equation for displacement
d
v=
t
d = vt
v = 1 (vi + v f )
2
d = 1 (vi + v f )t
2
 Practice Problems

• A car slows from 45 m/s to 30m/s over

6.2s. How far does it travel in that time?

• A cyclist speeds up from his 8.45m/s

pace. As he accelerates, he goes 325m
in 30s. What is his final velocity?
Equation that doesn’t require vf
d = 1 (vi + v f ) t v f = vi + at
2

d = 1 (vi + vi + at )t
2
d = 1 t (2vi + at)
2

d = vi t + at
1 2
2
 Practice Problems

A ball rolling up a hill accelerates at –5.6m/s2

for 6.3s. If it is rolling at 50m/s initially, how far
has it rolled?

If a car decelerates at a rate of –4.64m/s2

and it travels 162m in 3s, how fast was it going
initially?
An equation not needing t
v f = vi + at d = 1 (vi + v f )t
2
v f − vi = at
 v f − vi 
v f − vi
=t d= 1
2
(vi + v f ) 
a  a 

 v 2f − vi2 
d=1  
2 a 
 

2ad = v 2f − vi2
 v = v + 2ad
2
f
2
i

A bowling ball is thrown at a speed of

6.8m/s. By the time it hits the pins 63m
away, it is going 5.2m/s. What is the
acceleration?
 The Big 4

v f = vi + at v = v + 2ad
2
f
2
i

d= 1
2
at + vi t
2
d = 1 (vi + v f )t
2
 Gravity
• Gravity causes an acceleration.
• All objects have the same acceleration due
to gravity.
• Differences in falling speed/acceleration
are due to air resistance, not differences in
gravity.
• g=-9.8m/s2
• When analyzing a falling object, consider
final velocity before the object hits the
grounds.
 Problem Solving Steps
• Identify givens in a problem and write them
down.
• Determine what is being asked for and write
down with a questions mark.
• Select an equation that uses the variables
(known and unknown) you are dealing with
and nothing else.
• Solve the selected equation for the unknown.
• Fill in the known values and solve equation
 Hidden Variables
• Objects falling through space can be
assumed to accelerate at a rate of
–9.8m/s2.
• Starting from rest corresponds to a vi=0
• A change in direction indicates that at
some point v=0.
• Dropped objects have no initial velocity.
 Practice Problem
• A ball is thrown upward at a speed of
5m/s. How far has it traveled when it
reaches the top of its path and how long
does it take to get there?
vi=5m/s d=?
vf=0m/s t=?
a=g=-9.8m/s2
A plane slows on a runway from 207km/hr
to 35km/hr in about 527m.
a. What is its acceleration?
b. How long does it take?
An onion falls off an 84m high cliff. How
long does it take him to hit the ground?
An onion is thrown off of the same cliff at
9.5m/s straight up. How long does it take
him to hit the ground?
A train engineer notices a cow on the
track when he is going 40.7m/s. If he can
decelerate at a rate of -1.4m/s2 and the
cow is 500m away, will he be able to stop
in time to avoid hitting the cow?
 Displacement (Position) vs.
Time Graphs
• Position, or displacement
can be determined simply
by reading the graph. What is the velocity of the
• Velocity is determined by object at 4 seconds?
the slope of the graph
(slope equation will give
units of m/s).
• If looking for a slope at a
specific point (i.e. 4s)
determine the slope of the
entire line pointing in the
same direction. That will
be the same as the slope
of a specific point.
 Velocity vs. Time Graphs
• Velocity is
determined by
reading the graph.
• Acceleration is
determined by
reading the slope of
the graph (slope
equation will give
units of m/s2).
 Velocity vs. Time Graphs
• Displacement is found using
area between the curve and the
x axis. This area is referred to
as the area under the curve
(finding area will yield units of
m).
• Areas above the x axis are
considered positive. Those
underneath the x axis are
considered negative.
• Break areas into triangles
(A=1/2bh), rectangles (A=bh),
and trapezoids (A=1/2[b1+ b2]h).
 Velocity vs. Time Graphs

• What is the
acceleration
of the object
at 6s?
• What is the
displacement
of the object
at 4s?
• What is the
displacement
of the object
from 3s to
12s?