Kianna Tejada

Mr. Vanderway
period 2
October 20, 2014
Velocity and Acceleration Concept
A model is an object in which you can describe with multiple things. For instance when you
have a constant velocity model, there are many ways you can find why it has constant velocity.
Velocity explains how an object is moving with respect to a reference point or point zero or in
shorter terms a rate in change in position. Acceleration is how the motion changes measured with
respect to a reference frame.
An example of a model is people like the warm weather more than the cold weather. It states
something but when you are given a model more things come to mind so you have to explain
why. Another more mathematical example is a car is driving at 25 m/s, and it has a constant
velocity model, you have to explain how. The car is going at 25 miles each seconds but you have
to figure out the direction, how far it will go and the positions it has passed using constant
velocity. Position is where an object is, measured with respect to a reference frame. The
acceleration model of an object shows us that we need to find the the time it has been moving,
the velocity and the initial position.
Models basically help us find out how to work a problem. In our lab where we graphed a
cart going down a ramp, the velocity was changing, but when we squared the x axis and make
the velocity graph linear with a constant velocity. So for example if a velocity graph is linear
than the acceleration graph would be a straight line.

velocity
3
2.25
1.5
0.75
0

time (seconds)

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acceleration
25
18.75
12.5
6.25
0

The domains for a constant velocity model

1. Constant velocity reference frame
2. object must have constant velocity
3. object is described as a particle ( something that has mass)
4. Non-relativistic speed. (V < Speed of light)
The domains for a constant acceleration
1. Constant velocity reference frame
2. object must have constant acceleration
3. object is described as a particle
4. non- relativistic speed

An example problem for acceleration is a ball is thrown upwards and hits the ground in 7
seconds. What was the acceleration of the ball when it was thrown upwards? The first thing we
do is use the acceleration model. We need to find out at what velocity was the ball thrown and
what was its position when it was thrown.
Constant velocity and constant acceleration do predict reality well if an object is going at a
constant rate. But using a constant velocity model for an object that isn't going in a constant
velocity then it will give you the wrong ideas and the outcome wont turn out correct. These two
models are related to each other because velocity model revolves around speed and direction
while acceleration revolves around the motion and how it changes. Some common
misconceptions when using this is that models are used to help solve a problem but most of the
class ( including myself) decided to skip using the model and understanding its purpose.

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