By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

describe motion along a straight line.

use graphs and mathematical formulae to answer questions about motion.
answer ticker timer questions.
know the difference between speed and velocity and distance and displacement.

1. Introduction
2. Position, Displacement and Distance
3. Speed and velocity
4. Acceleration
5. Description of motion in words, diagrams, graphs and equations
6. The ticker timer

End of session 1

7. Equations of motion
8. Review questions and exercise 1

End of session 2



1. INTRODUCTION

Different types of movement are part of our daily life. People move due to the muscles
that contract and relax, forcing the bones to move. Vehicles move due to the hydraulic
systems that are built in it. In Science we describe the movements with our own special
vocabulary. It is very important that you built your own personal dictionary to explain the
meaning of different words and phrases in science.


2. POSITION, DISPLACEMENT AND DISTANCE

Position: This is the place where one fines an object.
The position of an object can only be described if there is a second point that
can be used as a reference.

One way of describing the position of an object is by referring to the compass
directions (north, east, south and west).








SUBJECT: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
GRADE: 10
CHAPTER / MODULE: MECHANICS
UNIT / LESSON TOPIC: - Equations of Motion
- Graphs of Motion

LESSON OVERVIEW (Knowledge areas)
LESSON


(360) N (0)




W (270) E (90)




S (180)

One always measure from north (0) clockwise, when the compass directions
are used and only degrees are given.
One measures 20 from east in the direction of south when the position is
given as 20 S of E.

Distance: Distance is the actual path followed from the reference to the new position of
the object.
Distance must always be measured in meters because it is the actual
distance moved.
Distance is a scalar because it only has a magnitude (size) because the
direction can change all the time.


House Shops

Black: the distance you travel (by road) to the shops.
Red: the displacement (the shortest distance from your house to the shops
(as the crow flies)

Displacement: It is the shortest distance from point A to be in a specific direction.
Displacement will always have a magnitude (size) and direction and is called
a vector.

Vector: Any quantity that has magnitude and direction.

Scalar: Any quantity that only has magnitude.














3. SPEED AND VELOCITY:
Average speed Average velocity
The average speed is the total
distance travelled divided by the
time taken.
Average speed is the rate at which
the distance changes
Speed is measured in ms
-1
(meters
per second).


Where: x is resultant distance
t is the time taken
v
averaqge
is the average speed
The word rate implies that you divide
by time.

The average velocity is the resultant change
in position divided by the time taken.
Average velocity is the rate of change of
displacement.
Velocity is measured in ms
-1
with its
direction the same as that of the change on
position.


Where: x is resultant displacement
t is the time taken
v
averaqge
is the average velocity
Instantaneous speed Instantaneous velocity
Instantaneous (momentary) speed is
the speed at which an object moves
at a particular moment in time (i. e.
speed measured over an extremely
short time interval)
The speedometer of a car gives the
momentary speed of the car.
It has no direction and is called a
scalar.
Instantaneous (momentary) velocity is the
velocity at which an object is moving at a
particular moment in time (i. e. velocity
measure over an extremely short time
interval.
It has direction and is called a vector
quantity.

Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate (speed) at which velocity change. If the velocity
increases at a specific rate in the same direction as the original movement,
means that the acceleration is positive. If the velocity increases at a specific
rate in the opposite direction as the original direction of movement, the
acceleration will be negative and the object will slow down. To measure the
acceleration the change in velocity over a specific time interval must be
measured. The initial velocity (v
i
) is the velocity before the change took place
and the final velocity (v
f
) is the velocity after the change took place.


4. DESCRIPTION OF MOTION IN WORDS, DIAGRAMS, GRAPHS AND
EQUATIONS

Motion can be described in different ways.
Words: When your friend explains his first experience in driving a car and tells you in
detail how he struggles to pull of and stop.
Diagrams: When you draw a sketch to explain a specific movement.
Graphs: We use three different graphs.
1. Velocity time graph
2. acceleration time graph
3. position time graph.

1. Velocity time graphs

Every type of movement has a different line on the graph.

Constant velocity Positive acceleration Negative acceleration



v
(ms
-1
)


t (s)




v
(ms
-1
)


t (s)




v
(ms
-1
)


t (s)

To calculate the displacement from a velocity time graph: calculate the area
under the graph.
Square: l x b (side x side)
Rectangle: l x b
Triangle: ! b x h




To calculate the acceleration from a velocity time graph: Calculate the gradient
of the graph.


2. Acceleration time graph

Every type of movement has a different line on the graph.

Non-uniform acceleration Positive constant
acceleration
Negative constant
acceleration




a
(ms
-2
)

t (s)







a
(ms
-2
)

t (s)






a
(ms
-2
)

t (s)


To calculate the velocity from an acceleration time graph: calculate the area
under the graph.
Square: l x b (side x side)
Rectangle: l x b
Triangle: ! b x h

3 Position time graph

Every type of movement has a different line on the graph.

Constant position Positive change in position Negative change in position




x
(m)

t (s)







x
(m)

t (s)






x
(m)

t (s)


To calculate the velocity from a position- time graph: Calculate the gradient of
the graph.



5 TICKER TIMERS

The period of the ticker timer
The period of the ticker timer is the time between two successive dots on the ticker
tape.

It doesnt matter if the distance between the dots change, the period will still be constant

How do we calculate the period?
From the frequency!

If the frequency of the ticker timer is 50 Hz, the period will be:


The time between the dots are thus always known = the period of the ticker timer.
Hint: Remember T is the symbol for period and t is the symbol for time.

The velocity of a ticker timer
How can one determine from the tape whether the trolley accelerated or moved at
a constant velocity?

" " " " " " " " " "


If the dots are the same distance apart, the object is moving at constant velocity










" " " " "


If the distance between the dots increases, the object will move faster, thus positive
acceleration.








The time between the dots is constant because it is equal to the period!
The distance between the dots is also constant. Thus v stays constant.

The time between the dots is constant because it is equal to the period!
The displacement s between the dots increase. Thus v will also increase.
We can thus reason that if the displacement s between the dots decrease, the velocity
will also decrease and there will be a negative acceleration.

How does one determine average velocity form the tape?

10mm 30mm 50mm 70mm
" " " " "
A B C D E

The period of the ticker tape is 0,02 s

The average velocity from A to B and the average velocity from B to C are calculated as
follow:


How does one calculate instantaneous velocity? (Remember:Instantaneous velocity is
the velocity at a specific time or point.)
It can not be calculated directly.
The instantaneous velocity at point B (v
B
) is equal to
the average velocity from point A to C (v
AC
) because
B is in the middle between A and C. Not in the
Middle in terms of the distance but in terms of the time!





The acceleration of a ticker tape
How does one determine the acceleration?

10mm 30mm 50mm 70mm
" " " " "
A B C D E

The period of the ticker tape is 0,02 s










The average velocity from A to B and the average velocity from B to C are calculated as
follow:



10mm 30mm 50mm 70mm
" " " " "
A B C D E
V= 1m.s
-1
v= 1,5m.s
-1


t = 0,02 s




END OF SESSION 1

6 SPEED, VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION
Speed


Speed is measured in m.s
-1
.

Velocity


Velocity is measured in ms
-1
.
The direction of the velocity is always the
same than the direction of the displacement.


V
AB
is the average velocity between A and B
and it means that the velocity is in the middle
between A and B thus it cuts the time in half!
. The time between the 2
velocities are thus 0,01 + 0,01 = 0,02 s.
Remember:
Speed and time
is scalars, thus
speed will also
be a scalar!
Remember:
Displacement is a
vector, thus
velocity will also
be a vector!
Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate at which velocity change. (Rate means the speed over time).

Acceleration is measured in ms
-2
.
Acceleration is a vector. If the object moves faster the acceleration is in the same
direction as movement. If the object slows down the acceleration will be in the opposite
direction than the direction of movement.

7. EQUATIONS OF MOTION


To be able to do calculation with equations of motion you need the following
vocabulary:
v
f
, v
i
, a and x are vectors direction must be given with any answer.
v
i
: The direction of the object will be the same than the direction of the
velocity.
An object moving from rest means that v
i
= 0.
An object moving with constant velocity means v
i
= v
f
.
v
f
: The direction of the object will be the same than the direction of the
velocity.
An object that comes to a standstill means v
f
= 0.
An object that comes to rest means v = 0.
An object moving with constant velocity means v
i
= v
f

x: The direction of the straight line from the starting point to the end
determines the direction of the displacement.
a: If an object moves faster, as direction will be in the same direction
as the object.
If an object slows down, as direction will be opposite to the direction
of the object.
An object that comes to a standstill means a is negative.
An object that comes to rest means a is negative
An object moving with constant velocity means a = 0.
t: Time is a scalar and can never be negative.












1. Which one of the following is not a vector
A. velocity
B. acceleration
C. time
D. displacement

2. To calculate the velocity from a displacement time graph.
A. calculate the area under the graph.
B. Calculate the gradient of the graph
C. Add all the values together.

3. Moving from rest means:
A. final velocity is zero.
B. Initial velocity is zero.
C. No acceleration.

4. Which one of the following units is the same than Hz?
A. s
B. s
-1

C. m
D. m
-1


5. The definition of period is:
A. The time taken between two dots.
B. The number of dots per second.
C. The distance between two dots.




1. Position, Displacement and Distance
EXERCISE A: Draw the following vectors on the same axis. (remember to work to
scale!)
1.1 40 m in the direction 20
1.2 25 m in the direction 60 N of W
1.3 30 m North east

EXERCISE B:
A baby crawls for 5 m on a bearing 90 and then 3m on a bearing of 45. Determine
2.1. the total distance the baby crawled.
2.2. with the aid of a diagram, what the babies resultant displacement would be.


2. Speed and velocity
EXERCISE:
An athlete runs once around a 40 m track in 50 s.
1.1 Calculate the athletes average speed.
1.2 Calculate the athletes average velocity.
1.3 What is the athletes displacement? Explain your answer.


EXERCISES
REVIEW QUESTIONS

3. Acceleration
EXERCISE A:
A car travel with a initial velocity of 40 ms
-1
and then accelerates to 55 ms
-1
. It takes the
car 15 seconds to reach the new velocity. Calculate the acceleration of the car.

EXERCISE B:
Thabo is cycling at 20 ms
-1
and sees a whole in the road. He brakes and stops after 4 s.
Caculate his acceleration.

4. Description of motion in words, diagrams, graphs and equations
EXERCISE A:
Draw the velocity time graph for the following description.
A lift is acceleration from rest for 2 s and then move at a constant velocity for 5 s before it
slows down to a standstill in 2 s.

EXERCISE B:
2.1 Describe the motion of the train.




v (ms
-1
)
30


15


15 20 28 40 44 t(s)
2.2 Calculate the acceleration of the train between 20 and 28 s.
2.3. Calculate the distance travelled in the 44 s.
2.4 Draw a acceleration time graph from the velocity time graph.


5. The ticker timer
EXERCISE A:
The ticker tape shows the dots that are made by a ticker timer with a frequency of 50 Hz. A
represents the first, B the 11
th
, C the 21
st
and D the 31
st
dots.

A B C D



The distance between the respective dots is: AB = 12 mm, BC = 24mm, CD = 48mm
1.1 What is the period of the ticker timer?
1.2 What is the average velocity from A to B?
1.3 Calculate the average velocity from C to D.
1.4 Determine the acceleration of the trolley.







EXERCISE B:
A car is accelerated from rest during a road test. The displacement values from the
starting point for the first 8 seconds are given in the following table:
Time (s) Displacement (m)
1 1,25
2 5,0
3 11,25
4 20,0
5 31,25
6 45,0
7 61,25
8 80,0

Calculate the average:
2.1 velocity during the third second.
2.2 velocity during the seventh second
2.3 acceleration between the third and the seventh second.

6. Equations of motion
EXERCISE A:
A car accelerates uniformly in 12 s from 10 ms
-1
to a speed of 18 ms
-1
. Calculate the
distance travelled by the car while it is accelerating.

EXERCISE B:
An aeroplane with a velocity of 45 ms
-1
comes in to land at the start of the runway and
brakes at -5 ms
-1
. Will it be able to stop in time if the runway is 275 m long? Use the
necessary calculations to explain our answer.





























1. An athlete runs from A to B around a circular track that has a radius of 100 m.
(circumference of a circle is 2!r) A
100 m
1.1 Calculate the distance moved from A to B
1.2 Calculate the displacement from A to B. B

2. A motorcycle moving at 30 m"s
-1
due west on a straight road, brakes and comes
to a standstill after 6 s. Calculate the acceleration of the motorcycle.

3. The graph is a position time graph for two motor cars K and L. At the instant t
= 0 s the position of each car was marked.



















3.1. Identify the motor car with the greatest velocity.
3.2. How far apart are the two motor cars at t = 0 s?

4. Sipho is cycling at 5 m"s
-1
on a dirt road when he spots a bull 20 m ahead of
him. It took him 30 seconds before he starts to apply his brakes. If he stops after
3 minutes, will he stops before he collides with the bull?


END OF SESSION 2


HOMEWORK


32


24
x (m) K

16


8
L

0 10 20 30 40 t (s)