Ch 1-1 Kinematics

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Chapter 1 Kinematics
1.1 Motion along a line
1.1.1 Scalar and vector quantity A quantity described by a magnitude only e.g. mass, time, distance, speed, density, energy, temperature. Vector quantity: A quantity described by both its magnitude and direction. e.g. displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum. *** Scalar quantity has no direction but can be negative!! e.g. negative work done (It means energy is taken away from the object. It is not related to directions) 1.1.2 Def: Distance and displacement Distance: Displacement: Length of the actual path taken (scalar) Length and direction of the line which represents the change in position from a certain position (vector) Note: In 2D (or 3D), the displacement of an object move from position A to position B = AB = OB OA

Scalar quantity: -

B
A Path taken Length = distance

Displacement A Position vector

B
Position vector

Origin O We usually resolve the vectors into two (or three) components (such as x, y, z components) and solve each component independently. So we can treat the problem as two (or three) independent one-dimensional problems. In one-dimensional problems, displacement (change in position) is denoted as: x = x final x initial *** x depends on end points only but not the path taken. The direction of the displacement is given by the sign of x.

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1.1.3 Def.

Speed and Velocity Speed: Speed = (distance traveled) / (time taken t)

*** If t is relatively long, then it is the average speed in that time interval. If t is small enough, then it is the instantaneous speed. Def. Average velocity: Average velocity = Change in position x Time taken t =
x f xi t f ti

*** Average velocity only depends on the initial and final positions, but not the path taken. *** Average velocity in the time interval t = slope of the line segment PQ. xf Q

xi Def. Instantaneous velocity:

P ti

tf

Instantaneous velocity = rate of change of displacement =

x(t + t ) x (t ) dx = lim t 0 dt t

*** Instantaneous speed equals the magnitude of instantaneous velocity but average speed need NOT equals the magnitude of average velocity. e.g. On completing a circular path, the average velocity is zero but the average speed (=2r/t) is non-zero. *** Instantaneous velocity (or just velocity) at time t = slope of tangent in the displacement-time graph at time t 1.1.4 Def. Acceleration Average acceleration: Change in velocity v v f v i = Time taken t t f ti

Average acceleration =

*** Average acceleration only depends on the initial and final velocities, but not the velocities in between. Def. Instantaneous acceleration = rate of change of velocity =

v(t + t ) v(t ) dv = lim t 0 dt t

*** Instantaneous acceleration (or just acceleration) at time t = slope of tangent in the velocity-time graph at time t.

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*** The direction of acceleration is the same as the change of velocity. e.g. A car rounding a bend

vf

Change in velocity (parallel to )

vi

vi

vf

e.g. It is given that the acceleration of a particle moving on a straight line is a(t) = 2t 1 At t = 0, x = 0 and v = 1. Consider a time interval from t = 0 to t = 3. a. Find a, v and x at t = 3.

b.

Find the average acceleration in this time interval.

c.

Find the average velocity in this time interval.

1.1.5

One-dimensional motion graphs Displacement-time graph (position-time graph, x-t graph) *** Slope of tangent at a certain time to = (instantaneous) velocity v(to)

Straight line with +ve slope => uniform motion to +ve direction. (v constant, v>0, a=0)

Straight line with -ve slope => uniform motion to -ve direction. (v constant, v<0, a=0)

t
Curved line => slope is changing with time => nonuniform motion (vconstant, a0)

Horizontal line => at rest (v=0)

v=

dx = derivative of x w.r.t. time t dt

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Velocity-time graph (v-t graph) *** Area under the v-t graph gives the displacement of the body.

Accelerating uniformly (a>0 a=constant)

Decelerating uniformly (or accelerating uniformly in the negative direction) (a<0 a=constant)

A B
At rest (v=0, a=0) Uniform motion (v=constant, a=0) Accelerating nonuniformly (a>0, aconstant)

Total displacement = Area A Area B Total distance traveled = Area A + Area B

Acceleration-time graph (a-t graph) *** Area under the a-t graph gives the change of velocity of the body.

Area A Area B t

Change of velocity = Area A Area B

1.1.6

Calculus and equation of motions

dv ds ,v= dt dt
dv =

a=

(Differential forms) ,
ds = 0 t
i

v
i

t
i

a dt
tf

v dt

(Integral forms)

v f vi =

ti

a dt ,

s=

ti

tf

v dt

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e.g.

For constant acceleration a -----------------------------------------------1 2 at ---------------------------2

v f = v i + at

(1) (2)

s=

tf

ti

(v i + at ) dt = v i t +

a=
s

dv dv ds dv = =v dt ds dt ds
vf vi

a dt =
0

v dv

1 2 2 (v f vi ) = as 2

-----------------------------------------

(3)

e.g. Sketch the v-t graph and the a-t graph for a ball that bounces off the ground for the cases of (i) elastic bouncing and (ii) inelastic bouncing.

e.g. The displacement x of an object as a function of time t is given by x(t) = A sin ( t), find its velocity v and acceleration a as a function of time t. Sketch the corresponding x-t graph, v-t graph and a-t graph.

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1.1.7

One-dimensional motion with changing acceleration e.g. Falling under gravity with the influence of air resistance. Force model for air resistance: F = bv F = mg bv m
dv = mg bv dt

dv = g - v dt

where = b/m

Approximate solution: When t 0, v 0 Therefore, v gt When t , v attains the terminal velocity v v g/

dv g and dt

v v

v=gt v = g/

t
For exact solution, we need to solve the second order differential equation analytically. The result is v = v (1 e- t)