Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

EN PHYS 1 – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Subject Instructor: Engr. Jusiel V Abanes
Module No. & Title: 2.a One-Dimensional Kinematics
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2.a One-Dimensional Kinematics
Outline of Topics
1. Introduction to Mechanics
2. Displacement
3. Speed and Velocity
4. Acceleration
5. Motion Equation
6. Free-Fall

Specific Intended Learning Outcome/s (SILOs)

At the end of this topic, the student should be able to:
 Familiarize with the terms used in mechanics;
 Differentiate distance vs displacement, speed vs velocity, acceleration;
 Derive the motion equation using calculus; and
 Solve two-dimensional kinematic problems using calculus.
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Lesson 1: Introduction to Mechanics

Physics is usually divided in to five branches, namely: Mechanics, Heat, Sound, Optics, Electricity and
Magnetism, and Modern Physics. For our subject, we will first explore the oldest and most basic branch,
which is Mechanics, and then proceed to the other branches as we move on. Mechanics is a branch of
Physics that involves the laws and properties of solids and fluids, and certain ideas such as motion, inertia,
force, and energy.

Mechanics is composed of two parts: Kinematics and Dynamics. Kinematics covers the concepts that
describe motion, without the reference to forces and Dynamics, on the other hand, considers the forces that
affect motion.

Lesson 2: Displacement

Definition of Displacement

Refer to figure at the right. Suppose a car is initially at a position

indicated by vector ⃗x 0, and after some time, it has moved to
another location indicated by vector ⃗x . The displacement of the
car is indicated by vector Δ ⃗x , which is measured from the initial
position to the final position. We can now define displacement
as a vector that points from an object’s initial position to its final
position and has a magnitude that equals the shortest distance
between the two positions. Mathematically, we can write:

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CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Unit of Displacement

Similar to distance, the displacement the SI unit for displacement is meters. Feet, inches, centimeters and
other units of length can also be used.

Displacement and Distance

Let us suppose that a car moves forward and backs up several times before reaching its destination. The
distance is the total distance travelled by the car while the displacement is the shortest distance of the car
from the initial position to the final position. We can also say that for this example, the distance travelled is
greater than the magnitude of the displacement vector. Displacement takes the direction of the motion into
account, and distance does not.

Conceptual Problem 2.1

A honeybee leaves the hive and travels a total distance of 2 km before returning to the hive. What is the
distance travelled by the bee? What is the magnitude of the displacement vector of the bee?
Ans:

Lesson 3: Speed and Velocity

Average Speed

Average speed answers the question of how fast an object is moving and is determined by the distance
travelled divided by the time elapsed to cover that distance.
Distance
Average speed=
Elapsed time

In SI Units, average speed is expressed in terms of m/s.

Example Problem 3.1

How far does a jogger run in 1.5 hours if his average speed is 2.22 m/s?
Sol’n:

Example Problem 3.2

An 18-year-old runner can complete a 10.0-km course with an average speed of 4.39 m/s. A 50-year-old
runner can cover the same distance with an average speed of 4.27 m/s. How much later (in seconds)
should the younger runner start in order to finish the course at the same time as the older runner?
Sol’n:

Average Velocity

In order to get the average velocity, we divide the displacement by the elapsed time. For the displacement,
we will use plus and minus signs to indicate the two possible directions. If the displacement points in the

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

positive direction, the average velocity is positive. Conversely, if the displacement points in the negative
direction, the average velocity is negative.
Displacement ⃗x −⃗x0 Δ ⃗x
Average velocity= ⃗v = =
Elapsed time t−t 0 Δt

In SI Units, average speed is expressed in terms of m/s. Velocity can also be expressed in other units, such
as kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mi/h).

Example Problem 3.3

Andy Green in the car ThrustSSC set a world record of 341.1 m/s in 1997.
The car was powered by two jet engines, and it was the first one officially to
exceed the speed of sound. To establish such a record, the driver makes
two runs through the course, one in each direction, to nullify wind effects.
Figure a shows that the car first travels from left to right and covers a
distance of 1609 m (1 mile) in a time of 4.740 s. Figure b shows that in the
reverse direction, the car covers the same distance in 4.695 s. From these
data, determine the average velocity for each run.
Sol’n:

Example Problem 3.4

Starting from the front door of your ranch house, you walk 60.0 m due east to your windmill, and then you
turn around and slowly walk 40.0 m west to a bench where you sit and watch the sunrise. It takes you 28.0
s to walk from your house to the windmill and then 36.0 s to walk from the windmill to the bench. For the
entire trip from your front door to the bench, what is:
a. your average velocity?
b. your average speed?

Instantaneous Velocity

Suppose the magnitude of your average velocity for a long trip was 20 m/s. This value, being an average,
does not convey any information about how fast you were moving or the direction of the motion at any
instant during the trip. Both can change from one instant to another. Surely there were times when your car
traveled faster than 20 m/s and times when it traveled more slowly. The instantaneous velocity of the car
indicates how fast the car moves and the direction of the motion at each instant of time. The magnitude of
the instantaneous velocity is called the instantaneous speed, and it is the number (with units) indicated by
the speedometer. For the instantaneous velocity:
lim Δ ⃗x
Δt → 0
⃗v =
Δt

Example Problem 3.5

A car is stopped at a traffic light. It then travels along a straight road so that its distance from the light is
given by x ( t )=b t 2−c t 3 where b=240m/s2 and c=0.120m/s3.
a. Calculate the average velocity of the car for the time interval t = 0 to t = 5.0s
b. Calculate the instantaneous velocity of the car at t=0, t=5.0s and t=10.0s.

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CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

c. How long after starting from rest is the car again at rest?
Sol’n:

Lesson 4: Acceleration

Definition of Acceleration

Acceleration describes the changes in velocity from moment to moment. The velocity of a moving object
may change in a number of ways. For example, it may increase, as it does when the driver of a car steps
on the gas pedal to pass the car ahead. Or it may decrease, as it does when the driver applies the brakes
to stop at a red light. The notion of acceleration emerges when the change in the velocity is combined with
the time during which the change occurs.

Average Acceleration

During an elapsed time interval Δt =t−t 0 , the velocity changes from an initial value of ⃗v 0 to a final velocity
of ⃗v . The change Δ ⃗v in an object’s velocity is its final velocity minus its initial velocity, so that Δ ⃗v =⃗v −⃗v 0.
The average acceleration a⃗ is defined in the following manner, to provide a measure of how much the
velocity changes per unit of elapsed time.
Change∈velocity
Average acceleration=
Elapsed time

v⃗ −⃗v 0 Δ ⃗v
a⃗ = =
t −t 0 Δt
Instantaneous Acceleration

This pertains to the acceleration of an object at a particular instant of time.

lim Δ ⃗v
Δt → 0
a⃗ =
Δt

Example Problem 4.1

Suppose the plane in the

figure starts from rest when t0 = 0s.
The plane accelerates down the
runway and at t = 29 s attains a
velocity of ⃗v =¿+260 km/h, where
the plus sign indicates that the
velocity points to the right.
Determine the average
acceleration of the plane.

Sol’n:

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Example Problem 4.2

A drag racer crosses the finish line, and the driver deploys a
parachute and applies the brakes to slow down, as the figure
illustrates. The driver begins slowing down when t0 = 9.0s and
the car’s velocity is ⃗v 0=+28 m/s. When t = 12.0 s, the velocity
has been reduced to ⃗v =+13 m/s. What is the average
acceleration of the dragster?

Sol’n:

Lesson 5: Motion Equation

The following equations are useful when we are going to describe the motion of an object travelling with a constant
acceleration along a straight line. Note that these equations are derived from the combination of the concepts of
displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

v=v 0 + at

x−x 0= ( v +2v )t
0

1 2
x−x 0=v 0 t + a t
2

v 2=v 20 ∤2 a ( x−x 0 )
Where:

x = final position v = final velocity

x0 = initial position at t0 = 0s v0 = initial velocity at time t=0s
a = acceleration (constant acceleration) t = time elapsed since t0 = 0s

Example Problem 5.1

The speedboat in the figure has a constant acceleration

of +2.0 m/s2. If the initial velocity of the boat is +6.0 m/s,
find the boat’s displacement after 8.0 seconds.

Sol’n:

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Example Problem 5.2

A jet is taking off from the deck of an aircraft

carrier, as the figure shows. Starting from rest,
the jet is catapulted with a constant
acceleration of +31 m/s2 along a straight line
and reaches a velocity of +62 m/s. Find the
displacement of the jet.
Sol’n:

Lesson 6: Free-Fall
Free-Fall

Everyone has observed the effect of gravity as it causes objects to fall downward. In the absence of air resistance, it is
found that all bodies at the same location above the earth fall vertically with the same acceleration. Furthermore, if the
distance of the fall is small compared to the radius of the earth, the acceleration remains essentially constant
throughout the descent. This idealized motion, in which air resistance is neglected and the acceleration is nearly
constant, is known as free-fall. Since the acceleration is constant in free-fall, the equations of kinematics can be used.

Acceleration Due to Gravity, g

The acceleration of a freely falling body is called the acceleration due to gravity, and its magnitude (without any
algebraic sign) is denoted by the symbol g. The acceleration due to gravity is directed downward, toward the center of
the earth. Near the earth’s surface, g is approximately 9.81m/s2 or 32.2ft/s2.

Unless circumstances warrant otherwise, we will use either of these values for g in subsequent calculations. In reality,
however, g decreases with increasing altitude and varies slightly with latitude.

Example Problem 6.1

A stone is dropped from rest from the top of a tall building, as the figure
indicates. After 3.00 s of free-fall, what is the displacement y of the stone?
Sol’n:

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CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Example Problem 6.2

After 3.00 s of free-fall, what is the velocity v of the stone in the previous problem?
Sol’n:

Example Problem 6.3

A football game customarily begins with a coin toss to determine who kicks off.
The referee tosses the coin up with an initial speed of 5.00 m/s. In the absence
of air resistance, how high does the coin go above its point of release?
Sol’n:

Example Problem 6.4:

In the previous problem, what is the total time the coin is in the air before returning to its release point?
Sol’n:

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