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Kinematics

(1)
Definirions
(2) (5)
Equations Of Uniform Motion Graphs
i. v = u + at
1 2
ii. s = ut + 2 a t
iii. 2as = v2 – u2
Note: The following equations are also used
s = vt when v is constant
and
s = vavt when v is changing uniformly

(3)
Motion under gravity
i. Gravitational field strength (g).
ii Terminal velocity: (VT)
(4)
Motion in 2D (Projectile Motion)

Section 1 – Definitions
“Kinematics is the study of objects in motion without considering the forces that cause
the motion”.
It is based upon following five parameters.
1) Distance (s)
 It is any length between two points, but not straight.
 Scalar
 SI unit – (m)
2) Displacement (s)
“It is the shortest length between two points or distance in a particular direction”.
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 Vector
 SI unit – (m)

3) Speed (v)
“It’s the rate of change of distance”.
Δs
 v=
Δt ∆ = small change
 Scalar
 SI unit = ms-1
The speed can be categorized as;
 Uniform/constant.
“Equal distance is covered in equal time intervals”
 Non-uniform:
“Uneven distances are covered in equal time intervals”
 Average speed:
“Is the total distance covered by total time take”.
stotal
v av =
t total

Q. A person, travelling on a motorway a total distance of 200 km, travels the first 90 km at
an average speed of 80 km h–1.
Which average speed must be obtained for the rest of the journey if the person is to
reach the destination in a total time of 2 hours 0 minutes?
A 110 km h–1 B 120 km h–1 C 122 km h–1 D 126 km h–1

 Instantaneous speed:
“It’s the speed of an object at a particular moment (instant) in time”.
Δs
v=
Δt
∆t → 0

Note: Graphically the instantaneous speed if found by drawing the tangent at that particular
instant & finding it’s gradient.
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Note: The uniform, average, and instantaneous speeds have the same value if an object is
moving with uniform speed.
4) Velocity (v)
 It is the rate of change of displacement.
Δs
 v=
Δt
 Vector
 Units = ms-1
 The velocity can also be uniform, non-uniform, average, or instantaneous.
5) Acceleration (a)
 It is the rate of change of velocity
Δv
 a=
Δt
 Vector
 Units = ms-2
Note: As velocity is a vector so acceleration can be caused by the change in its direction or
magnitude or both.
Also a slow-moving object can have more acceleration than fast moving, as acceleration
is linked with velocity change and not with its magnitude. Also without using the word
change in velocity one can’t define acceleration.
Acceleration can also be uniform, non-uniform, average, or instantaneous.
Uniform acceleration:
“It is equal change in velocity in equal time intervals”.
Non-uniform acceleration:
“Unequal change in velocity in equal time intervals”.
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Average acceleration:
“Average acceleration is total change in velocity divided by the time taken”.
Instantaneous acceleration
“It is acceleration at a particular instant”.

Section 2 – Equations of uniform motion

Uniform motion means constant acceleration or uniformly changing velocity.
In AS we only deal with uniform motion. (with the exception of motion under gravity
with air resistance)
There are three equations of uniform motion.
1) v = u + at
 Say an object’s velocity changed UNIFORMLY from u to v in time t, then, by definition
Δv
 a=
Δt
v−u
a=
Δt
 at = v – u
 v = at + u
1 2
2) s = ut + 2 a t

Say an object’s velocity changed UNIFORMLY from u to v in time t, then and has
covered a displacement s, by definition
s
s=v av t since v av =
t

( )
u+ v
 s= 2 t

 s= (
u+u+at
2
t )
s=(
2 )
2u+ at
 t

( )
2
2ut +at
 s=
2
2
at
 s=ut+
2
Q. A stone is dropped from the top of a tower of height 40 m. The stone falls from rest and
air resistance is negligible. What time is taken for the stone to fall the last 10 m to the
ground?
A 0.38 s B 1.4 s C 2.5 s D 2.9 s
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3) 2as = v2 – u2
Proof:
Say an object’s velocity changes uniformly from u to v in time t and has covered
displacement s. Then, by definition
s=v av x t

s=( u+2 v )t v−u

put t= a from 1st equation

s=(
2 )( a )
u+ v v−u

2 2
uv−u + v −uv
s=
2a
2as = v2 – u2

Summary
i) v = u + at
1 2
ii) s = ut + 2 a t
iii) 2as = v2 – u2

Note: The following equations are also used

s = vt when v is constant
and
s = vavt when v is changing uniformly
Note:
 Mostly there is more than way to solve a problem.
 A mathematical equation can only be solved with only one unknown quantity.
Section 3 - Motion under gravity
1. Gravitational field strength (g).
It’s defined as
“Force per unit mass in gravitational field”
F
g= m
It is also called “acceleration due to gravity”
Its average value close to the earth surface is 9.81 N/kg or 9.81 m/s 2.
Sign of ‘g’ valve.
Note: imp
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The sign of ‘g’ value depends upon the direction of velocity. If upward velocity is taken as
+ve then ‘g’ value is always –ve regardless the object is going up or coming down & vice

versa.
2. Terminal velocity: (VT)
Definition:
“It’s constant velocity attained by an object while falling through air/fluid”
OR
The constant velocity that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the
medium through which it is falling prevents further acceleration.
Explanation:
If the object is dropped from rest, the magnitude of velocity increases so as the air resistance.
When air resistance balances the weight the velocity becomes constant & is called V Y.

Note: imp
The acceleration is not linked with the magnitude of velocity rather but the change in velocity
with time. A slow moving object can have more acceleration the fast moving.
At the object has larger acceleration at the start since change is velocity is more but as objects
velocity increases its acceleration decreases because of change in velocity becomes less.
One can relate it in analogy with car starting from rest on straight road. Initially it has larger
acceleration & as the velocity increases acceleration decreases.
Graphically:
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Note:
The ‘VT’ depends upon, Density of medium, Shape/dimensions or mass of an object.
When VT’ is attained;
W=R & a=0
VT = constant
Q. A body falling in a uniform gravitational field encounters air resistance. The air
resistance increases until terminal velocity is reached.
Which factor does not affect its terminal velocity?
A the density of the air B the height from which the body falls
C the mass of the body D the shape of the body

Section 4 - Motion in 2D (Projectile Motion):

Projectile:
Any object thrown under gravity (not vertically) in called a projectile.
Note:
1. An object is only called projectile when it becomes air born.
2. The only force acting on projectile is it weight acting vertically down (ignoring air).
3. The only acceleration is acceleration due to gravity ‘g’, acting vertically down.
4. The force with which we throw the projectile has nothing to do with its trajectory. It
can only alter the magnitude of velocity with which the projectile is thrown. But as
the object becomes a projectile the force with which it is thrown has nothing to do
with its motion.
5. To study projectile motion we split the motion/velocity into horizontal & vertical
components.
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Note:
The components are independent of each other when they are at right angle (90 p)
1
Sinθ α θ & Cosθ α θ
By understanding the above points we can establish the definition of projectile motion.
Projectile Motion:
Definition
“It is such a motion in which the horizontal component of velocity remains constant (No
horizontal acceleration), but the vertical component of velocity changes with time (Due to
vertical acceleration ‘g’)”

Note:
For projectile a = -g as upward velocity is taken as positive.
Study Of projectile Motion:
As we split the motion into horizontal & vertical components, so we study it accordingly.
Note: We will be using the same equations of kinematics which we studied.
1. Vertical Component Of Motion:
The following parameters are related with vertical component of motion.
(i) Maximum Height reached (H):
As
2aS = v 2y - u2y
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Put a = -g, & uy = usinθ. Also at the maximum height vy = 0,

So
-2gS = (usinθ)2
2 2
u sin θ
Or S=
2g
(ii) Time to reach the maximum height (t):
As
vy = uy – gt Put vy = 0 & uy = usinθ
usinθ
t= g
(iii) Time Of flight (T):
As
T = 2t
2usinθ
T= g
Note: You need not to memories the equation, just remember the basic kinematics equations.
2. Horizontal Component Of Motion: (X)
It only includes how much the horizontal distance is covered by projectile with time.
As
X = ux x t ux = ucosθ
X = ucosθ x t
If t = T. It will give us the total distance coveted at the end of the flight.
X = ucosθ x T

Note: v-imp
If two objects one is dropped vertically & the other is thrown horizontally. They will take the
same time in reaching the ground (ignoring air).

So we can calculate time from vertical information by using formula

1
H = uyt + 2 gt 2 Put uy = 0
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1
H = 2 gt 2
2H
Or t=√ g
For example if you jump from a building & at the same time a truck start moving with
same velocity as your horizontal velocity. Then you will land in the truck.
Note: If object is dropped vertically down or thrown horizontally, we take downwards
velocity as +ve, so ‘g’ becomes +ve. Otherwise downward displacement will become
–ve & we have to cancel out signs in equation, so to avoid complexity downward
velocity is taken +ve.

Graphs:
Graph is a strongest way of communication and it is a relationship between two or more
variables in Cartesian coordinates.
Gradient (m):
It means how does the quantity along y-axis changes when we bring the change in
quantity along x-axis.
∆y
m = ∆x
Area under graph:
A=XxY
By multiplying the quantity along x-axis with that of y-axis we always get area under the
graph.

Type of graphs.
y
2
4

3
1

6
5
7
x

1. Uniform/constant.
2. Uniformly increasing.
3. Increasing with +ve rate.
4. Increasing with –ve rate.
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5. Uniformly decreasing.
6. Decreasing with +ve rate.
7. Decreasing with –ve rate.

Note: The shape of the graph depends upon mathematical relationship between variables.
Example,

Graphs in kinematics:
1. Distance - time graph:
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From such graph we get two type of information.

i. As,
∆s
∆v =
∆t

∆y
By comparison with, m = ∆ x
The gradient of s-t graph gives us ‘v’.
2. The second information is indirect i,e by knowing about ‘v’, one can tell about ‘a’.
Note: One should know about the difference between distance & displacement graphs w.r.t
time.
The distance – time graph never decreases with time.

2. Speed-time graph.
From such graph we get two type of information.
i. As,
∆v
∆a =
∆t

∆y
By comparison with, m = ∆ x
The gradient of s-t graph gives us ‘a’.
ii. As,
s=vxt
The area under s-t graph gives us ‘s’,

Conversion between graphs:

Note: Like any other language graph is also a language. So by looking at graph one should draw
a conclusion about how the distance velocity or acceleration changes with time.
Note: While graphs conversion, one should take care that the gradient of s-t graph gives us
‘v’, & the gradient of v-t graph gives us ‘a’.
Examples:
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