2.

1 KINEMATICS HW/Study Packet

SL/HL
Required: Supplemental:
READ Hamper pp 17-28 Cutnell and Johnson, pp 28-52
READ Tsokos, pp 38-62 Giancoli, pp 19-38

REMEMBER TO….
ü Work through all of the ‘example problems’ in the texts as you are reading them
ü Refer to the IB Physics Guide for details on what you need to know about this topic
ü Refer to the Study Guides for suggested exercises to do each night
ü First try to do these problems using only what is provided to you from the IB Data Booklet
ü Refer to the solutions/key ONLY after you have attempted the problems to the best of your ability
  UNIT OUTLINE

I. DEFINING TERMS
A. DISPLACEMENT AND DISTANCE
B. SPEED AND VELOCITY
C. ACCELERATION
II. MORE ON ‘INSTANTANEOUS’ AND ‘AVERAGE’

III. GRAPHING KINEMATICS

A. DISPLACEMENT-TIME GRAPHS
B. VELOCITY-TIME GRAPHS
C. ACCELERATION-TIME GRAPHS
D. HOW THE GRAPHS ARE RELATED
IV. CONSTANT ACCELERATION AND THE EQUATIONS OF MOTION
A. FALLING BODIES NEAR THE EARTH’S SURFACE
B. THE EQUATIONS OF MOTION
V. FRAMES OF REFERENCE AND RELATIVE VELOCITY
A. IN ONE DIMENSION
B. IN TWO DIMENSIONS
 
FROM THE IB DATA BOOKLET

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO AT THE END OF THIS TOPIC

□ Describe the difference between distance / displacement and speed / velocity.
□ Differentiate between instantaneous and average speeds and velocities.
□ Recognize situations of accelerated motion and solve problems for motion in a straight line with
constant acceleration using the equations of motion.
□ Solve problems of motion in a straight line both with constant and varying acceleration.
□ Use graphs in describing motion, and be able to draw graphs of motion scenarios.
□ Understand how to interpret graphs (the slope of a s-t graph is v, and the slope of a v-t graph is a,
the area under a v-t graph is Δs, and the area under an a-t graph is Δv).
□ Analyze motion from pictures, photogate data, and tickertape analysis.
□ Appreciate that different observers in different frames of reference can give different but equally
valid descriptions of motion.

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HOMEWORK PROBLEMS:

1. An object has a displacement of -5 m. It moves a distance to the right equal to 15 m and then a
distance of 10 m to the left.
a) What is the total distance travelled by the object? [25 m]

b) What is the final displacement of the object? [0 m]

c) What is the change in displacement of the object? [+5 m]

2. A student walks a distance of 3.5 km from home to college. He returns home via the chip shop,
covering a distance of 5.5 km. Find the total distance he was walking and his displacement from
home at the end of the day. [9.0 km, 0 km]

3. Calculate the average speed in ms-1 of:

a) a sprinter who completes 100.0 m in a time 10.0 s [10.0 ms-1]

b) a marathon runner who takes 21/4 hours to run 42.5 km. [5.2 ms-1]

4. Starting from home, a jogger runs 4.0 km. She returns home after 20 minutes. What is:
a) her average speed? [3.3 ms-1]

b) her average velocity? [0 ms-1]

5. The speed of light is 3.00 x 108 ms-1. Calculate:

a) the distance travelled by the light in 1 complete earth year. [9.46 x 1015 m]

b) The time taken, in minutes, for the light to travel from the Sun to the Earth, a distance of 150
million km. [8.3 min]

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6. A cyclist travels to work at an average speed of 3.0 ms-1 and returns home for tea at an average
speed of 9.0 ms-1. Calculate her average speed for the whole journey. (The answer is not 6 ms-1!)
[4.5 ms-1]

7. The diagram shows the movement of a smoke particle in a

Brownian motion experiment.
(a) Use a ruler to find (measure it properly!):
(i) the total distance moved by the smoke particle in
going from A to B. [1.5 mm]

(ii) the displacement AB. [0.17 mm at 23°]

(b) If it took 1.20 s to travel from A to B, calculate

(i) the average speed [1.33 mms-1] (ii) the average velocity of the smoke particle.
[0.14 mms-1 at 23°]

8. An electron enters a tube as shown at point P. How long does the electron spend inside the tube?
[4.4 x 10-9 s]

9. Sketch the shape of a tickertape chart produced from a tape attached to a trolley moving:

a) with a constant acceleration

b) at a constant speed

c) with a constant deceleration

3  
 
10. The diagram shows the positions of a line drawn on an accelerating air track glider every 100
milliseconds. The scale of the diagram is one twentieth that of the real situation.

a) How far did the glider move between:

i) Positions 4 and 6 ? [31.0 cm] ii) Positions 10 and 12? [76.0 cm]

b) Write down the average velocities of the glider between these two sets of positions.
[4-6: 1.55 ms-1; 10-12: 3.80 ms-1]

c) How long did the glider take to accelerate from position 4 to position 10 (or from position 6 to
12)? [0.600 s]

d) What was the acceleration of the glider? [4.09 ms-2]

11. An object is travelling in a circular path as shown, starting at A 5.0 ms-1

and going through B and C. The radius of it’s path is r and it
take a time t to get from A to C. It’s speed is a constant 5.0 ms-
1
and initially the object is heading due north.
Determine, in terms of appropriate variables…
a) how far the object has travelled going from A to C. [πr]

b) the displacement from A to C. [2r m E]

c) the time taken to get from A to B. [t/2 or πr/5]

d) the change in velocity from A to B. [7.1 ms-1 SE]

e) the change in velocity from B to C.                      [7.1 ms-1 SW]

f) the change in velocity from A to C. [10. ms-1 S]

g) the average acceleration between A and B. [14/t ms-2 SE]

h) the average acceleration between A and C. [10/t ms-2 S]

i) Determine the direction of the force(s) acting on the object (if any) at points A, B, and C.

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12. Calculate the acceleration of an airplane if it accelerates from 15.0 ms-1 to 80.0 ms-1 in 1 minute.
[1.08 ms-2]

13. Calculate the time taken for a car to increase its speed from 5.0 ms-1 to 25 ms-1 if its acceleration is
2.0 ms-2 . [10 s]

14. A car accelerates away from traffic lights with an acceleration of 5.0 ms-2 for 6.0 seconds. It then
brakes with an acceleration of –3.0 ms-2 for 2.0 seconds. What was its final speed? [24 ms-1]

15. This problem is about cars driving along a straight road.

a) Complete the table showing the speeds of a car at 1 second intervals from starting out, if the
acceleration of the car was 5.0 ms-2.

Time 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0

/s
Speed 0.0
/ ms-1

b) Repeat for an acceleration of 8.0 ms-2.

Time 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 6.0

/s
Speed 0.0
/ ms-1

c) Draw a graph of data on the graph provided. Clearly label

the graphs ‘a’ and ‘b’.

d) Deduce, using data from your graph, that the car in part (b) travelled further than the car in part
(a) after 6.0 s.

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16. Use the distance-time graph to find: a) how far the body has moved after 10 s [13 m]
 

b) how long the body takes to travel 8 m [6.5 s]

c) the average speed of the body after 15s [1.3 ms-1]

d) the instantaneous speed when t = 5s [1.3 ms-1]

 
e) the equation of the line [s(t) = 1.3t]

17. Use the velocity-time graph to find:

a) the acceleration during the first 5s [2.4 ms-2]
 

b) the distance travelled during this acceleration [30 m]

c) the total distance covered between ‘stops’ [60 m]

d) the average speed during the 22s journey. [7.4 ms-1]

 

e) the equation of the graph

18. Sketch the acceleration-time graph corresponding to the velocity-time graph in question 17.
       
 
       
         
         
       
         
       
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19. The graph shows the result of studying a
sprint start.
a) What, in m.p.h., was the maximum velocity
reached? (take 1.0 ms-1 to equal 2.24
m.p.h.) [21.3 mph]

b) Calculate the acceleration of the sprinter in ms-2….

i) as she leaves her blocks. [8.3 ms-2] ii) after 2.0 s. [1.2 ms-2]

20. The graph describes the motion of a train moving in a speed- restricted area and then accelerating as
it clears the area. You are to calculate the total distance travelled by the train in the 40 s shown in two
different ways.

a) Use the average velocity of the train during each 20s interval to calculate two separate distances
and add them together. [600 m]

b) Find the number of squares under the graph and the distance represented by one square.

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21. At the instant the traffic light turns green, a car that has been waiting at a junction starts ahead with a
constant acceleration of 2.00 ms-2. At the same instant a truck, travelling with a constant speed of
18.0 ms-1, overtakes and passes the car.
a) How far beyond its starting point does the car overtake the truck? [324 m]

b) How fast is the car travelling when it overtakes the truck? [36.0 ms-1]

c) On a single graph, sketch the position of each vehicle as a

function of time. Take s = 0 at the junction.

22. At t = 0 a car is stopped at a traffic light. When the light turns green, the car starts to speed up. It
gains speed at a constant rate until it reaches a speed of 20 ms-1 eight seconds after the light turns
green. The car continues at a constant speed for 40 m. Then the driver sees a red light up ahead at
the next intersection and starts slowing down at a constant rate. The car stops at the red light, 180 m
from where it was at t = 0. Draw accurate a-t, v-t, and s-t graphs for the motion of the car.

 
s
23. The graph below shows the variation with time t of the displacement
s of a car. In which time interval is the speed greatest? Explain.

0
0 A B C D t
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24. This displacement-time graph is for the motion of a
glider between two elastic buffers on an air track.

a) From what point on the track is the displacement

being measured?

b) Sketch two more graphs, using the same time scale, showing how the velocity and acceleration of
the glider vary with time.

25. This displacement-time graph is for the motion of a

swinging pendulum.

a) From what point is the displacement

being measured?

b) Sketch two more graphs, using the same time scale, showing how the velocity and acceleration of
the pendulum vary with time.

9  
 
26. Joseph runs along a long straight track, starting from
rest at t = 0 s. The variation of his speed v with time t is
shown. At t = 25 s, determine:
a) how far he has run [200 m]

b) his instantaneous speed [10 ms-1]

c) his average speed since he started [8 ms-1]

d) his instantaneous acceleration [0 ms-2]

e) his average acceleration since he started [0.4 ms-2]

27. The graph shows the variation with time t of the

velocity v of an object moving along a straight
line. For the time interval 0 ≤ t ≤ 6 s determine:

a) the displacement of the object. [+12 m]

b) the average speed of the object. [3.3 ms-1]

c) the average velocity of the object. [+2 ms-1 ]

d) the acceleration of the object. [-2 ms-2]

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28. A 0.50 kg cart is moving along a
horizontal track. The graph of velocity vx
against time t for the cart is given:

a) Indicate every time t for which the

cart is at rest.
[t = 4 s and t = 18 s]

b) Indicate every time interval for which

the speed (the magnitude of the
velocity) of the cart is increasing.
[from 4-9 s, and from 18-20 s]

c) Determine the horizontal position x of the cart at t = 9.0 s if the cart is located at x = 2.0 m at t = 0.
[+1.1 m]

d) Find the maximum acceleration of the cart and determine the time(s) at which this occurs.
[0.4 ms-2 between 17 and 20 s]

29. The graph shows the variation with time t of the velocity v of an v
object moving along a straight line. On the same graph, sketch the
variation of time t of the acceleration a.

0
0 t

30. A projectile is fired vertically upwards and reaches a height of 78.4 m. Find the velocity of the
projection and the time it takes to reach its highest point. [+39.2 ms-1 , 4.00 s]

31. A stone dropped from rest down a well takes 1.9 s to hit the surface of the water. Calculate the depth
of the well. [-18 m]

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32. A stone is thrown vertically upwards with an initial velocity of 29.4 ms-1 from the top of a tower 34.3 m
high. Find:
a) the time taken to reach the maximum height. [3.00 s]

b) the total time which elapses before it reaches the ground. [10.0 s]

33. A small iron ball is dropped from the top of a vertical cliff and takes 2.5 s to reach the sandy beach
below. Find:
a) the velocity with which it strikes the sand. [-25 ms-1]

b) the height of the cliff. [-31 m]

34. A particle starts from rest and moves in a straight line with a constant acceleration until it reaches a
velocity of 15 ms-1. It is then brought to rest again by a constant retardation of 3.0 ms-2. If the particle
is then 60.0 m from its starting point, find the time for which the particle is moving. [8.0 s]

35. A car brakes with a deceleration of 2.5 ms-2 (an acceleration of –2.5 ms-2 ) Calculate the distance it
needs to stop, if its initial speed is
a) 20. ms-1 [80 m] b) 40. ms-1 [320 m]

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36. An antelope moving with constant acceleration covers the distance between two points 80.0 m apart
in 7.00 s. Its speed as it passes the second point is 15.0 ms-1.
a) What is its speed at the first point? [7.86 ms-1]

b) What is its acceleration? [+1.02 ms-2]

37. One type of airplane has a maximum acceleration on the ground of 3.5 ms-2.
a) For how many seconds must it accelerate along a runway in order to reach its take off speed of
115 ms-1 ? [33 s]

b) What is the minimum length of runway needed to reach this speed? [1900 m]

38. An airplane travels 420 m down the runway before taking off. It starts from rest, moves with constant
acceleration, and becomes airborne in 16.0 s. What is its speed, in ms-1, when it takes off?
[53 ms-1]

39. A bullet travelling at a speed of 110 ms-1 penetrates a tree trunk to a depth of 65 mm. Calculate
a) the impact time of the bullet [1.2 x 10-3 s]

b) the deceleration of the bullet. [-9.3 x 104 ms-2]

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40. Electrons in a particle accelerator are moving at 8.0 x 105 ms-1 when they enter a tube where they are
accelerated to 6.5 x 106 ms-1 in 3.0 x 10-7s.
a) What is their acceleration in the tube? [+1.9 x 1013 ms-2]

b) What is the length of the tube? [1.1 m]

41. An electron moving at a speed of 1.30 x 105 ms-1 travels 20.0 cm through an electric field. It leaves in
the same direction with a speed of 9.30 x 105 ms-1. Find:
a) The acceleration of the electron while it is in the electric field. [+2.12 x 1012 ms-2]

b) The time it spends in the electric field. [3.77 x 10-7 s]

42. The human body can survive a negative acceleration trauma incident (sudden stop) if the magnitude
of the acceleration is less than 250 ms-2 (approximately 25 g). If you are in an automobile accident
with an initial speed of 88 km/h and are stopped by an airbag that inflates from the dashboard, over
what distance must the airbag stop you if you are to survive the crash? [1.2 m]

14  
 
43. A car driver, travelling in his car at a steady speed of 8.0 ms-1, sees a dog walking across the road
30.0 m ahead. The driver’s reaction time is 0.20 s, and the brakes of producing a deceleration of 1.2
ms2. Calculate the distance from where the car stops to where the dog is crossing. [1.7 m]

positive direction
44. A boat is moving in the direction shown with a speed
of 5 ms-1 as measured by Nico who is at rest on the Aziz
beach. Aziz walks along the deck of the boat in the 5 m s–1
direction shown with a speed of 2 ms-1 measured
relative to the boat. Determine the velocity of Nico
relative to Aziz. [-3 ms-1]
Nico

45. Consider a speeding motorist travelling at 140 km/hr along a highway. A police car travelling at 180
km/hr is chasing him but is 10.0 km behind the motorist. How long does it take the police car to catch
up to the speeding motorist? [15 minutes]

46. A woman walks with a velocity of 1.0 ms-1 along the aisle of a train (towards the front of the train) that
is moving with a velocity of 3.0 ms-1. What is her velocity relative to:
a) A bug on the front window of the train? [-1.0 ms-1]

b) A butterfly flying towards the back of the train at 25 cm/s? [-0.75 ms-1]

c) A man sitting on the side of the track 57 m ahead of the train? [-4.0 ms-1]

d) A dog sitting on the track 15 m behind the train? [+4.0 ms-1]

15  
 
47. A railroad flatcar is traveling to the right at a speed of 13.0
m/s relative to an observer standing on the ground (see
diagram). A motor scooter is being ridden on the flatcar.
What is the velocity (magnitude and direction) of the motor
scooter relative to the flatcar if its velocity relative to the
observer on the ground is

a) 20.0 m/s to the right? [+7.0 ms-1 (to the right)]

b) 4.0 m/s to the left? [-17.0 ms-1 (to the left)]

c) zero? [-13.0 ms-1 (to the left)]

48. A bird flies east with a speed of 20.0 m/s and a cheetah runs north with a speed of 40.0 m/s. What is
the velocity of the bird relative to the cheetah? [44.7 ms-1 at an angle 63.4 ° South of East]

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