Chapter 2

Motion in One Dimension

Dynamics
 The branch of physics involving the
motion of an object and the
relationship between that motion
and other physics concepts
 Kinematics is a part of dynamics
 In kinematics, you are interested in
the description of motion
 Not concerned with the cause of the
motion
Quantities in Motion
 Any motion involves three
concepts
 Displacement
 Velocity
 Acceleration
 These concepts can be used to
study objects in motion
Brief History of Motion
 Sumaria and Egypt
 Mainly motion of heavenly bodies
 Greeks
 Also to understand the motion of
heavenly bodies
 Systematic and detailed studies
 Geocentric model
“Modern” Ideas of Motion
 Copernicus
 Developed the heliocentric system
 Galileo
 Made astronomical observations with
a telescope
 Experimental evidence for description
of motion
 Quantitative study of motion
 Position
 Defined in terms
of a frame of
reference
 One dimensional,
so generally the x-
or y-axis
 Defines a starting
point for the
motion
Displacement
 Defined as the change in position
fixxxΔ≡−


 f stands for final and i stands for initial

 May be represented as y if vertical
 Units are meters (m) in SI,
centimeters (cm) in cgs or feet (ft) in
US Customary
Displacements
Vector and Scalar
Quantities
 Vector quantities need both
magnitude (size) and direction to
completely describe them
 Generally denoted by boldfaced type
and an arrow over the letter
 + or – sign is sufficient for this
chapter
 Scalar quantities are completely
described by magnitude only
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
Speed
 The average speed of an object is
defined as the total distance traveled
divided by the total time elapsed
==totaldistanceAveragespeedtotaltimedv

 Speed is a scalar quantity

Speed, cont
 Average speed totally ignores any
variations in the object’s actual
motion during the trip
 The total distance and the total
time are all that is important
 SI units are m/s
Velocity
 It takes time for an object to
undergo a displacement
 The average velocity is rate at

−which the displacement

Δ==Δ−fiaveragefixxxvttt occurs

 generally use a time interval, so

let ti = 0
Velocity continued
 Direction will be the same as the
direction of the displacement (time
interval is always positive)
 + or - is sufficient
 Units of velocity are m/s (SI),
cm/s (cgs) or ft/s (US Cust.)
 Other units may be given in a
problem, but generally will need to be
converted to these
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
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
 Average Velocity,
Constant
 The straight line
indicates constant
velocity
 The slope of the
line is the value of
the average
velocity
 Average Velocity, Non
Constant
 The motion is
non-constant
velocity
 The average
velocity is the
slope of the blue
line joining two
points
Instantaneous Velocity
 The limit of the average velocity as the
time interval becomes infinitesimally
short, or as the time interval
approaches zero
Δlim0txvt
Δ→ Δ≡

 The instantaneous velocity indicates

what is happening at every point of
time
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
Uniform Velocity
 Uniform velocity is constant
velocity
 The instantaneous velocities are
always the same
 All the instantaneous velocities will
also equal the average velocity
Acceleration
 Changing velocity (non-uniform)
means an acceleration is present
 Acceleration is the rate of change
of fifivvvattt
the velocity
−Δ==Δ−

 Units are m/s² (SI), cm/s² (cgs),

and ft/s² (US Cust)
Average Acceleration
 Vector quantity
 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
Instantaneous and
Uniform Acceleration
 The limit of the average
acceleration as the time interval
goes to zero
 When the instantaneous
accelerations are always the same,
the acceleration will be uniform
 The instantaneous accelerations will
all be equal to the average
acceleration
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
Average Acceleration
Relationship Between
Acceleration and Velocity

 Uniform velocity (shown by red arrows

maintaining the same size)
 Acceleration equals zero
Relationship Between
Velocity and Acceleration

 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)
 Positive velocity and positive acceleration
Relationship Between
Velocity and Acceleration

 Acceleration and velocity are in opposite directions

 Acceleration is uniform (blue arrows maintain the
same length)
 Velocity is decreasing (red arrows are getting shorter)
 Velocity is positive and acceleration is negative
Kinematic Equations
 Used in situations with uniform
()=+Δ==+Δ=+=+Δ22212122oooovvatxv
acceleration
 Notes on the equations
⎛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
Notes=+
on the
ovvat
equations

 Shows velocity as a function of

acceleration and time
 Use when you don’t know and
aren’t asked to find the
displacement
Graphical Interpretation of
the Equation
Notes on the equations
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
Notes on the equations
=+Δ222ovvax

 Gives velocity as a function of

acceleration and displacement
 Use when you don’t know and
aren’t asked for the time
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
Problem-Solving Hints,
cont
 Solve for the unknowns
 You may have to solve two equations
for two unknowns
 Check your results
 Estimate and compare
 Check units
Galileo Galilei
 1564 - 1642
 Galileo formulated
the laws that govern
the motion of objects
in free fall
 Also looked at:
 Inclined planes
 Relative motion
 Thermometers
 Pendulum
Free Fall
 All objects moving under the influence
of gravity only are said to be in free fall
 Free fall does not depend on the object’s
original motion
 All objects falling near the earth’s
surface fall with a constant acceleration
 The acceleration is called the
acceleration due to gravity, and
indicated by g
Acceleration due to
Gravity
 Symbolized by g
 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 g
doesn’t vary with altitude over short
vertical distances, free fall is constantly
accelerated motion
Free Fall – an object
dropped
 Initial velocity is
zero
 Let up be positive
 Use the kinematic vo= 0
equations a=g
 Generally use y
instead of x since
vertical
 Acceleration is g
= -9.80 m/s2
Free Fall – an object
thrown downward
 a = g = -9.80
m/s2
 Initial velocity  0
 With upward
being positive,
initial velocity will
be negative
Free Fall -- object thrown
upward
 Initial velocity is v=0
upward, so positive
 The instantaneous
velocity at the
maximum height is
zero
 a = g = -9.80 m/s2
everywhere in the
motion
Thrown upward, cont.
 The motion may be symmetrical
 Then tup = tdown
 Then v = -vo
 The motion may not be
symmetrical
 Break the motion into various parts
 Generally up and down
 Non-symmetrical
Free Fall
 Need 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
Combination Motions