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3.1 Position Function PDF

The document discusses position, velocity, and acceleration for objects moving along an axis. It defines average speed and velocity and explains how to calculate them from a position equation. Velocity is the derivative of position and accounts for direction, while speed is the absolute value of velocity. Acceleration is the derivative of velocity. An example calculates the velocity and acceleration functions for a particle from its position equation, and determines the direction of motion, and if velocity and speed are increasing or decreasing at a given time. Instantaneous velocity is defined as the velocity at a particular instant, which can be found by plugging a time value into the velocity function derived from the position equation.

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Henry Magday
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114 views5 pages

3.1 Position Function PDF

The document discusses position, velocity, and acceleration for objects moving along an axis. It defines average speed and velocity and explains how to calculate them from a position equation. Velocity is the derivative of position and accounts for direction, while speed is the absolute value of velocity. Acceleration is the derivative of velocity. An example calculates the velocity and acceleration functions for a particle from its position equation, and determines the direction of motion, and if velocity and speed are increasing or decreasing at a given time. Instantaneous velocity is defined as the velocity at a particular instant, which can be found by plugging a time value into the velocity function derived from the position equation.

Uploaded by

Henry Magday
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Position function

A common application of derivatives is the relationship between speed,


velocity and acceleration. In these problems, you’re usually given a
position equation in the form “x = ” or “s(t) = ”, which tells you the object’s
distance from some reference point. This equation also accounts for
direction, so the distance could be negative, depending on which direction
your object moved away from the reference point.

Average speed of the object is

distance
average speed =
time

Average velocity of the object is

change in position s(b) − s(a)


=
change in time b−a

To find velocity, take the derivative of your original position equation.


Speed is the absolute value of velocity. Velocity accounts for the direction
of movement, so it can be negative. It’s like speed, but in a particular
direction. Speed, on the other hand, can never be negative because it
doesn’t account for direction, which is why speed is the absolute value of
velocity. To find acceleration, take the derivative of velocity.

Example

Suppose a particle is moving along the x-axis so that its position at time t is
given by the formula

168
5
s(t) = 3t 2 + 8t − 2t 2

Compute its velocity and acceleration as functions of t. Next, decide in


which direction (left or right) the particle is moving when t = 1 and whether
its velocity and speed are increasing or decreasing.

To find velocity, we take the derivative of the original position equation.


3
v(t) = s′(t) = 6t + 8 − 5t 2

To find acceleration, we take the derivative of the velocity function.

15 1
a(t) = v′(t) = s′′(t) = 6 − t2
2

To determine the direction of the particle at t = 1, we plug 1 into the


velocity function.
3
v(1) = 6(1) + 8 − 5(1) 2

v(1) = 9

Because v(1) is positive, we can conclude that the particle is moving in the
positive direction (toward the right).

To determine whether velocity is increasing or decreasing, we plug 1 into


the acceleration function, because that will give us the rate of change of
velocity, since acceleration is the derivative of velocity.

15 1
a(1) = 6 − (1) 2
2

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3
a(1) = −
2

Since acceleration is negative at t = 1, velocity must be decreasing at that


point.

Since the velocity is positive and decreasing at t = 1, that means that


speed is also decreasing at that point.

Instantaneous velocity

We use the term “instantaneous velocity” to describe the velocity of an


object at a particular instant in time. Given an equation that models an
object’s position over time, s(t), we can take its derivative to get velocity,
s′(t) = v(t). We can then plug in a specific value for time to calculate
instantaneous velocity.

Example

Given an object’s position equation,

s(t) = 5t 3 + 2t − 8

where s is measured in meters and t is measured in seconds,

1. What is the object’s velocity when t = 0?

2. What is the object’s velocity when t = 25?

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3. If the motion begins at 8:45 a.m., what is the velocity at 8:51 a.m.?

First we need to find the derivative of s(t).

s′(t) = v(t) = 15t 2 + 2

To find velocity when t = 0, we’ll plug t = 0 into v(t).

v(0) = 15(0)2 + 2

v(0) = 2

Velocity at t = 0 is 2 m/s.

To find velocity when t = 25, we’ll plug t = 25 into v(t).

v(25) = 15(25)2 + 2

v(25) = 9,377

Velocity at t = 25 is 9,377 m/s.

8:45 a.m. is when motion begins, which means that time corresponds with
t = 0. The question asks for velocity after 6 minutes have passed, at 8:51
a.m., but in our position equation, t is measured in seconds. We’ll convert
minutes into seconds.

( 1 min )
60 s
t = (6 min)

t = 360 s

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Now we can plug t = 360 into v(t).

v(360) = 15(360)2 + 2

v(360) = 1,944,002

The velocity at 8:51 a.m. is 1,944,002 m/s.

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