KINEMATICS

Kinematics is the study of motion.

To make this simpler we study the motion of a
particle rather than that of a real body.
Distance is the length of the path travelled. It is
a scalar and is measured in metres
Displacement is the straight line between final
and starting points. It is a vector and is
measured in metres.
Distance is the length of the path travelled.
Distance is a scalar.

B
Displacement it the distance moved in a specific
direction.
It is the shortest distance between the starting
point and final point.
Displacement is a vector.
A

B
 What is speed?
Speed is a measure of how far an object moves in a given time.

This car is travelling at 60 mph. This means

the car travels 60 miles every hour.

This jet is travelling at

350 m/s. This means the jet travels 350
metres every second.
Average speed This is defined as distance
covered divided by the total time taken.
Average speed = distance covered
time taken
Speed is measured in m s-1
Speed only has meaning relative to a fixed
reference. Speed is usually given with
reference to the surface of the earth.
 m s-1
light 3 x 108
electron round nucleus 2.2 x 106
earth round sun 3 x 104
jet airliner 2.5 x 102
car (80 km hr-1 ) 22
sprinter 10
walking speed 1.5
Velocity is the rate of change of distance in a
particular direction.
It is a vector and is measured in m s-1
It is possible to be moving at constant speed but
with constantly changing velocity, e.g. going
round a corner.
Circular motion
Because it is a vector it can be resolved into
components
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
Whenever velocity changes there is an
acceleration.
This means that an object moving in a circle is
accelerating even if the speed is constant.
Acceleration is a vector and is measured in m s-2
Acceleration can be positive or negative.
A negative acceleration is often referred to as a
deceleration.
When the acceleration is in the opposite
direction to the velocity, the magnitude of the
velocity gets smaller.
When the acceleration is in the same direction
as the velocity the magnitude of the velocity
increases.
 KINEMATIC GRAPHS
These can be used to show the motion of
objects (particles).
They can only show motion in a straight line and
not going around corners.
 VELOCITY-TIME GRAPHS
Velocity time graphs can give you a lot of
information about motion.
When speed is constant you get a horizontal line
velocity

time
When the speed is increasing at a constant rate
i.e. acceleration is constant you get a straight
line graph.
velocity

time
When you have a straight line graph the
acceleration is the gradient of the graph.
 velocity 20
m/s 15
10
5
0 time/s
1 2 3 4 5
Acceleration = 20/5 = 4 m/s2
Velocity
20
15
10
5
0 time/s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Acceleration = 0-20 = - 4 m/s2
5
The area under a speed time graph is equal to
the distance moved.
V /m/s
10

time/s
5
Distance travelled = ½ x 5 x 10 = 25 m
When the acceleration is not constant then the
line is a curved line
Velocity

time
Acceleration is getting smaller
 velocity

time
Acceleration increasing
Velocity can be both positive and negative.
Hence you should draw your axis with negative
values
velocity
0 time

(remember time is never negative)

Velocity

A B C D E F time
1.When is the acceleration zero?
2. When is the velocity zero?
3. What can you tell about the velocity between
A and B?
4. What can you tell about the acceleration at B
and C?
5. How would you work out the total
displacement?
6.How would you work out the total distance
moved?
7. Describe the total motion of the object
between A and F
Speed can never be negative. If the motion is in
one direction only then you can draw a speed
time graph which will be identical to the
velocity time graph.
 Velocity-Time Graphs
Vel m/s

At constant vel
ion

dece
rat

Dist = area under graph

lerati
ele
acc

n o
Time(s)
 speed-Time Graphs
Vel m/s

At constant vel
ion

dece
rat

Dist = area under graph

lerati
ele
acc

n o
Time(s)
 The car is at rest
here – with zero
speed

Car is accelerating here – the speed is increasing.

The car is going at constant speed – acceleration is zero.

The car is decelerating here – or slowing down

1) A motorcyclist moves with constant
acceleration to increase his velocity from
12m/s to 20m/s in 10 secs. The motorcyclist
then decelerates at a constant rate bringing
his machine to rest in 8 seconds.
Sketch the vel-time graph and use it to find
a) the acceleration
b) the deceleration
c) the distance the motorcyclist travelled.
 vel(m/s)
20

12

0 10 18
Time(s)
a) Acc = 20 – 12
10
= 0.8m/s2
b) Dec = 20 – 0
8
= 2.5m/s2
c) Dist = ½(10)(12 + 20) + ½(8)(20)
= 5(32) + 80
= 240 m
2) A particle travels at 12m/s for 5s. It then
accs uniformly for the next 8s to a vel of x m/s,
and then dec uniformly to rest during the next
3 s. Sketch a vel-time graph.
Given that the total distance travelled is
218m, calculate
i) the value of x,
ii) the average velocity
vel(m/s)

12

0 5 13 16

Time (s)
 i) 5(12) + ½(8)(12 + x) + ½(3)(x) = 218
60 + 48 + 4x + 1.5x = 218
5.5x = 218 – 108
5.5x = 110
x = 20
ii) av. vel = total disp
total time
= 218
16
= 13.6 m/s
 Distance/Displacement-Time Graphs
Distance time graphs are not quite as useful as
velocity-time graph.
ALWAYS LOOK TO SEE WHAT GRAPH HAS BEEN
PLOTTED
Stationary – the displacement is constant
Displacement

Time
Velocity is constant – straight line
Velocity is equal to the gradient.
Displacement

Time
Velocity is increasing (acceleration) you get a
curve with an increasing gradient.
Displacement

time
Velocity is decreasing (deceleration) then get a
graph with a decreasing gradient

Displacement

time
Remember distance cannot be negative as the
length of the path travelled cannot be less
than zero.
 Acceleration – time graphs
These only indicate acceleration and time.
Remember zero acceleration means constant
velocity
Constant acceleration means velocity is
increasing at constant rate
Increasing acceleration means velocity is
increasing at an increasing rate
Decreasing acceleration means velocity is still
increasing but at a slower rate.
You can also get acceleration – displacement
and velocity- displacement graphs etc.
 KINEMATIC EQUATIONS
You need to be able to derive these from the
definitions
N.B. These equations can only be used for
1. motion in a straight line
2. where the acceleration is constant.
The following symbols are used
s = displacement
u = initial velocity
v = final velocity
a = acceleratlion
t = time taken
 N.B. Note that
1. s, u, v and a are all vectors and the direction
must be clear for all of these at all times.
2. Time must never be negative
Always choose which way you are taking as
positive and anything in the opposite direction
is negative.
 First equation
Definition: Average velocity = displacement
time
But average velocity = u + v
2
Therefore u + v = s
2 t
=> s = u + v t (1)
2
 Second equation
Definition : Acceleration is rate of change of
velocity
a= v–u
t
at = v – u
v = u + at (2)
 Third equation
Substituting second equation into first and
rearranging
s = (u + v) t
2
= ( u + u + at ) t
2
= (2u + at) t = 2ut + at2
2 2
So s = ut + ½ ut2 (3)
 Fourth Equation
Second equation is v = u + at
⇒ We have t = (v - u)/a
Substitute in first equation
s = (v + u) t = (v + u) (v - u)
2 2 a
s = v 2 - u2
2a
Rearrange to get
v2 = u2 + 2as
Acceleration due to gravity
If you ignore air resistance the acceleration of a
falling body is equal to the gravitational field
strength.
Close to the earth this is constant and equal to
about 9.81 m s-2 and the acceleration due to
gravity = 9.81 m s-2
Ignoring air resistance all bodies dropped from
the same height would hit the ground at the
same time.
Air resistance can be ignored if the distance
fallen is small and the object does not have a
large air resistance e.g. air resistance cannot
be ignored for a feather falling through even a
short distance, unless it is falling in a vaccuum.
Air resistance is proportional to the velocity.
The faster you are moving the greater the air
resistance.
If you are accelerating your velocity gets greater
and so does the air resistance.
This is why air resistance cannot be ignored
when an object falls a great distance.
An object is dropped from a great height
To start its velocity = 0 and air resistance = 0
Acceleration = 9.81 m s-2 downwards
Its velocity increases and so does its air
resistance and so acceleration decreases
But velocity still increases until such time as air
resistance = weight and then acceleration = 0
and velocity is constant
 This velocity is known as terminal velocity
acceleration

time
 Velocity

• time
 When doing calculations using the equations of
motion remember
1. Choose a direction as positive – if the velocity
is in this direction it is positive, if it is in the
opposite direction it is negative.
2. If the velocity is increasing the acceleration
has the same sign as the velocity. If it is
decreasing it has the opposite sign.
3. If an object is thrown upwards, at its greatest
height the velocity is zero.
4. If an object is thrown upwards, when it
returns to its same position, its displacement
is zero.
A car increases its speed from 25 m s-1 to
31 m s-1 with an acceleration of 1.8 m s-2.
How far does it travel while accelerating?
 s u v a t
? 25 31 1.8

v2 = u2 + 2as
(31)2 = (25)2 + 2 x 1.8 x s
s= 93 m
 The average acceleration of a sprinter from the
time of leaving the blocks to reaching his
maximum speed of 9.0 m s-1 is 6.0 m s-2 .
(a) For how long does he accelerate?
(b) What distance does he cover?
s u v a t
0 9 6 ?

v = u + at
9 = 0 + 6t
t = 1.5 s
su v a t
? 0 9 6
v2 = u2 + 2as
92 = 02 + 2 x 6 x s
s = 6.8 m
A cricketer throws a ball vertically upwards with
an initial velocity 0f 18.0 m s-1 .
(a) How high does the ball go?
(b) How long is it before it returns to the
cricketer’s hands?
 su v a t
? 18.0 0 -9.81
v2 = u2 + 2as
0 = (18)2 + 2(-9.81 ) s
s = 16.5 m
su v a t
0 18.0 -9.81 ?
s = ut + ½ at2
0 = 18t – ½ 9.81 t2
0 = 18t - 4.91t2
0 = t(18 – 4.91t)
t = 0 or t = 3.7 s
To determine acceleration due to gravity using a
falling body the simplest method is to drop a
body from rest, measure the distance it falls
and the time it takes.
Using the equation
s= ut + ½ at2 we get
s = ½ at2 which becomes a = 2s/t2
where a = g
Usually the experiment is done using different
values of s and a graph is plotted of s against
t 2.
The gradient of the graph is
½g
Practically you attach a steel ball to an
electromagnet at a known height above a
table.
When you switch the electromagnet off the time
starts.
When the ball hits the table the timer stops.
 Projectile Motion
This deals with motion in two dimensions.
 PARABOLIC MOTION
This is motion in two directions.
What would happen if a ball was thrown with a
horizontal velocity of v.
v
What force acts horizontally on the ball if we
ignore air resistance.
There is no force
What happens to the horizontal velocity
It remains constant.
What force is acting on the ball
Gravitational force (weight)
What will happen to the vertical velocity of the
ball
It will be accelerated with an acceleration of g.
The velocity at any time will be the resultant of
the horizontal and vertical velocities
 0 1 2 3
0
1

3
This same principle is used if an object is given a
velocity at an angle.
The velocity is resolved into two components.
The horizontal velocity is constant and the
equation velocity = displacement over time
applies
The path followed is
The vertical velocity is accelerated and the
motions of equation apply.
Remember
The initial velocity is the vertical component of
the initial velocity
The acceleration is directed down and is equal
to g
At greatest height vertical velocity is zero.
When the object returns to earth its
displacement is zero.
When the object returns to earth it stops
moving and this is the time of flight.
 A ball is thrown with a velocity of 10 m/s at an
angle of 600 to the horizontal.
(a) Find the greatest height to which it rises
(b) The horizontal distance it travels.
 10
600

Horizontal velocity = 10 cos 60 = 5 m/s

Vertical velocity = 10 sin 60 = 8.66 m/s
Vertically the velocity is accelerated
s u v a t
8.66 0 - 9.81
so v2 = u2 + 2as
0 = 8.662 – 2 x 9.81 s
s = 3.8 m
Greatest height = 3.8 m
Time of flight can be found by using s = 0
s u v a t
0 8.66 - 9.81
s = ut + ½ at2
0 = 8.66t - ½ 9.81 t2
t = 1.77 s
Horizontal distance moved = 1.76 x 5
= 8.8 m