Chapter 2 Displacement, Velocity, and

Acceleration
Section 2.1 Speed and Velocity

The study of motion (without considering the forces that cause

the motion) is called kinematics.

The length of a line between point A and point B is called

distance. We are more concerned with displacement. Displacement is
the change of position (distance ) in a particular direction. This makes
displacement a vector. Remember a vector is any measurement which
includes a direction. Displacement is distance AND direction.

Speed is the time rate of motion. (Speed is a scalar; direction is

not defined so it is not a vector.) Average speed is total distance
divided by elapsed time.

If a graph is formed where position is plotted on the y-axis and

time is plotted on the x-axis, the slope of the line tangent to the curve
at a given point is the instantaneous speed.

Velocity is not the same as speed. Rather than being distance

divided by time, it is displacement divided by time. Displacement is a
vector; it has a definite direction in addition to magnitude, so that
makes velocity a vector. Velocity is speed in a particular direction.
Average velocity is change of displacement divided by elapsed time

x x0 Dx
vavg = --------- or more simply stated vavg = ---------
t - t0 Dt
 Example 1: Andrea runs 2000 meters to the east in 6 minutes
(390 seconds). What is her velocity in m/s?

Answer: v = Dx / Dt v = 2000 m / 390 s = 5.13 m/s

Example 2: At the speed you found in example 1, how far would

she run in 10 minutes?

Answer: vt = Dx 5.13 m/s x 600 s = 3080 m

Example 3: At the velocity from example 1, how long would it

take Andrea to run 5000 meters?

Answer: Dx / v = Dt 5000 m / 5.13 m/s = 975 s or 16.2 minutes

If displacement is plotted on the y-axis and time on the x-axis,

the slope of the graph is the velocity. The difference in this graph and
graph of distance vs time is that displacement can be negative. So the
slope of a displacement vs time graph can be negative while the slope
of a distance vs time graph is always positive. In other words, speed is
always positive because direction is not defined, but velocity can be
negative or positive since it is a vector.

Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of a moving body at a

particular moment in time. Instantaneous velocity may not be the
same as average velocity.

Section 2.2 Acceleration

Acceleration is the time rate change of velocity.

v v0
aavg = ---------
t - t0 or more simply Dv
aavg = ------
Dt
 Example 4: A car accelerates from rest and reaches a velocity of
90 m/s after a time of 10 seconds. What is the average
acceleration?

aav = Dv/Dt = 90m/s / 10 s = 9 m/s2

Galileo Galilei was the first Renaissance scientist to understand

the concept of acceleration. (It was actually understood centuries
earlier by Nicole Oresme.) In a velocity vs. time graph, the slope is the
acceleration.

Displacement depends on acceleration, initial velocity, and time.

If an object accelerates at a constant rate from an initial velocity v i to
a final velocity vf over an elapsed time Dt, the displacement Dx can be
calculated from:

Dx = 1/2 (v0 + v) Dt

If you consider the previous equation you see that 1/2 (v0 + v) is
just average velocity, and velocity multiplied by time is displacement.

Example 5: A bicycle moving at 33 m/s begins a uniform negative

acceleration and reaches a velocity of 11 m/s after 6 seconds.
How far does the bicycle move while decelerating?

Answer: Dx = 1/2 (v0 + v) Dt Dx = 1/2 (33 m/s + 11 m/s) 6

s = 264 m

Section 2.3 The Big Three Kinematic Equations

We now look at the big three kinematic equations, the most

useful equations you will find in these first few chapters.

The change in velocity of an object accelerating at constant rate

is the product of the acceleration and the time elapsed, Dv = aDt.
Final velocity v of a constantly accelerating object is the initial
velocity v0 plus aDt.
 v = v0 + a Dt (This is the first equation of the
big three.)

If the object starts from rest, v0 = 0, and v = a Dt.

The displacement of an object accelerating at a constant rate for

an elapsed time Dt with an initial velocity v0 is found from this formula:

Dx = v0 Dt + 1/2 a Dt2 (This is the second equation of the

big three.)

If the object starts at rest, v0 = 0, and Dx = 1/2 a Dt2.

Example 6: A car starts from rest and accelerates for 8 seconds

at a rate of 5.2 m/s 2. (A) What is its speed at the end of the 8
seconds? (B) How far does it travel during that time period?

Answer: (A) v = v0 + a Dt v = 0 m/s + (5.2 m/s2)(8 s) = 41.6

m/s

(B) Dx = v0 Dt + 1/2 a Dt2 Dx = (0 m/s)(8 s) + 1/2 (5.2 m/s2)

(8 s)2

Dx = 166 m

If an object has an initial velocity v i, accelerates at a constant

rate a, and covers a displacement Dx, its final velocity can be
calculated from

v2 = v02 + 2a Dx (This is the third equation of the big three.)

If the object starts from rest, v0 = 0, and v2 = 2a Dx

Example 7: A jogger starts from rest, uniformly accelerating at a

rate of 0.500 m/s 2. What is the velocity of the jogger after
she has traveled 10.0 m?
 Answer: v2 = v02 + 2a Dx v2 = (0 m/s)2 + 2(0.5 m/s2)(10 m)
v = 3.16 m/s

Example 8: Starting from rest, a sled slides down an incline at a

constant acceleration of 3.00 m/s2. (A) What is the velocity of the
sled after 7.2 s? (B) How far does the sled slide in 8.0 s?

Answer: (A) v = v0 + a Dt v = 0 m/s + (3.00 m/s2)(7.2 s) v =

21.6 m/s

(B) Dx = v0 Dt + 1/2 a Dt2 Dx = (0 m/s)(8 s) + 1/2 (3 m/s 2) (8 s)2

Dx = 96 m

Example 9: A bowling ball rolling 15 m/s undergoes a constant

deceleration of 3.0 m/s2. (A) How long does it take the bowling
ball to roll to a stop? (B) How far does the ball roll?

Answer: (A) v = v0 + a Dt 0 m/s = 15 m/s + (-3.0 m/s 2 ) Dt

Dt = 5 s

(B) v2 = v02 + 2a Dx (0 m/s)2 = (15 m/s)2 + 2(-3.0 m/s2) Dx

Dx = 37.5 m

Example 10: An object starts from rest and moves with constant
acceleration for a distance of 200 m in 6.0 s. What is the
acceleration of the object?

Answer: Dx = v0 Dt + 1/2 a Dt2 200 m = 0 + 1/2 a(6.0 s)2 a =

11.1 m/s2

Section 2.4 Galileo and Falling Bodies

Galileo found that falling objects fall with constant acceleration.

This acceleration is 9.8 m/s2 near the surface of the earth. (For
calculations 10 m/s2 is acceptable.) This value is so important it is
given its own letter, g. To create the big three kinematic equations for
falling bodies, simply replace a with g.

v = v0 + g Dt

Dx = v0 Dt + 1/2 g Dt2

v2 = v02 + 2g Dx

When freely falling bodies start from rest, v0 = 0.

V = g Dt

Dx = 1/2 g Dt2

v2 = 2g Dx

These equations refer to a situation with constant acceleration

due to gravity and
no air resistance. Such motion is called free fall.

Example 11: A marble is thrown downward with a speed of 6 m/s.

If it starts from 100 m above the ground, how long will it be in the
air before it strikes the ground?

Answer: This problem involves two steps. We have to find the

final velocity before we can solve for the time.

v2 = v02 + 2g Dx v2 = (6 m/s)2 + 2(10 m/s2)(100 m) v2 = 45

m/s

45 m/s = 6 m/s + (10 m/s2)Dt Dt = 3.9 s

Example 12: A ball is thrown vertically upward with a velocity of
115 m/s. (A) To what height will it rise? (B) How long will it take
for the ball to fall back to the earth?

Answer: (A) At the balls peak height the final vertical velocity is
zero.

v2 = v02 + 2g Dx (0 m/s)2 = (115 m/s)2 + 2(-10 m/s2)Dx Dx =

660 m

(Note that acceleration is negative. We called upward velocity

positive, so downward acceleration must be negative.)

(B) We assume this question is asking the total time in the air
and not just the time it takes to fall from its maximum height.

v = v0 + g Dt (0 m/s) = (115 m/s) + (-10 m/s2) Dt Dt = 11.5 s

But 11.5 seconds is just the time to reach the peak. At the same
acceleration it will take the ball the same amount of time to fall
back to the earth, so the total time in the air is 2 x 11.5 s = 23 s.

Example 13: A ball drops from rest and attains a velocity of 62

m/s. How much time has elapsed?

Answer: v = v0 + g Dt 62 m/s = 0 m/s + (-10 m/s2) Dt

Dt = 6.2 s

Example 14: How far did the ball in the previous problem fall
during the fourth second?
 Answer: After three seconds the ball is falling at 30 m/s.

v = v0 + g Dt v = 0 + (10 m/s2)(3 s) v = 30 m/s

After four seconds the ball is falling at 40 m/s.

v = v0 + g Dt v = 0 + (10 m/s2)(4 s) v = 40 m/s

v2 = v02 + 2g Dx (40 m/s)2 = (30 m/s)2 + 2(10 m/s2) Dx Dx =

35 m

You could also have used Dx = 1/2 (v0 + v) Dt

Dx = 1/2 (v0 + v) Dt Dx = 1/2 (30 + 40)(1 s) Dx = 35 m

AND you could also have used Dx = v0Dt + 1/2 g Dt2

Dx = v0 Dt + 1/2 g Dt2 Dx = (30 m/s)(1 s) + 1/2 (10 m/s2) (1 s)2 Dx
=35 m

AND I guess you could have figured out that if the constant change in
speed is from 30 m/s to 40 m/s, the average speed is 35 m/s. Since
that occurred in one second, the displacement must be 35 m.

Im beginning to wonder how you could get that problem wrong

since there are so many ways to find the answer. Ill bet you show me
on the test.