Motion Along A Straight Line

DISPLACEMENT, TIME,
AND AVERAGE VELOCITY
 Average x - velocity or the
x – component of average velocity
 𝑑
v=
𝑡
 ∆𝑥
vav-x =
∆𝑡
 ∆𝑥 𝑥2−𝑥1
vav-x = =
∆𝑡 𝑡2−𝑡1
 EXAMPLE :
Suppose a drag racer drives her AA-fuel
dragster along a straight track. 1.0 s after the
start, the dragster is 19 m from the starting line,
and 4.0 s after the start it is 277 m from the
starting line. What is the average x – velocity of
the dragster?
 In most problems, the direction of the
coordinate axis will be yours to choose. Once
you’ve made your choice, you must take it into
account when interpreting the signs of vav-x
and other quantities that describe motion!
 Also, the dragster moves along the x-axis
only, so the y- and z- components of the
displacement are equal to zero.
 EXAMPLE :
Suppose a drag racer drives her AA-fuel
dragster along a straight track. 1.0 s after the
start, the dragster is 19 m from the starting line,
and 4.0 s after the start it is 277 m from the
starting line. What is the average x – velocity of
the dragster?
 EXAMPLE :
Suppose a drag racer drives her AA-fuel
dragster along a straight track. 1.0 s after the
start, the dragster is 19 m from the starting line,
and 4.0 s after the start it is 277 m from the
starting line. What is the average x – velocity of
the dragster?

Answer: 86 m/s
 EXAMPLE :
An official’s truck moves to the left along
the track taken by the dragster. The truck is at
x1 = 277 m at t1 = 16.0 s and is at x2 = 277 m at t2
= 25.0 s. Find the average x – velocity of the
truck.
 EXAMPLE :
An official’s truck moves to the left along
the track taken by the dragster. The truck is at
x1 = 277 m at t1 = 16.0 s and is at x2 = 277 m at t2
= 25.0 s. Find the average x – velocity of the
truck.

Answer: -29 m/s

(x – t) Graph
 The average x – velocity (Vav-x ) depends
only on the total displacement that occurs
during the time interval, not on the details of
what happens during the time interval.
 OTHER COMMON UNITS OF VELOCITY

• Kilometers per hour (km/h)

• Feet per second (ft/s)
• Miles per hour (mi/h)
• Knots (1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour =
6080 ft/h)
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