Linear

Motion
 LINEAR MOTION

Linear motion is a motion in a

straight line
 TYPES OF
TYPES OF QUANTITIES
QUANTITIES

SCALAR VECTOR
QUANTITIES / UNIT QUANTITIES / UNIT
Distance / m Displacement / m

Speed / ms-1 Velocity / ms-1

Acceleration / ms-2
 THE DEFINITION OF THE

DISTANCE : the length of the actual

path it has followed

DISPLACEMENT : the straight line from

the start to the end of
movement
Example 1

50 m

Distance = 50 m
Displacement = 50 m in the south-west direction
Example 2

A B C
3m 4m

Calculate :
(a)Distance
(b)displacement

Solution :
(a) Distance = 3 +4 = 7 m

(b) Displacement = 3 + 4 = 7 m in the east direction of A

Example 3

A B C
3m 4m

Calculate :
(a)Distance
(b)displacement

Solution :
(a) Distance = 3 +4 + 4 = 11 m

(b) Displacement = 3 + 4 - 4 = 3 m in the east direction of A

Example 4

40 m

30 m

Distance = 30 +40 = 70 m
Displacement = 40 2 30 2 50 m
in the south-west direction
Example 5

40 m
50 m

30 m
Distance = 50 + 30 = 80 m
Displacement = 50 2 30 2 40 m
in the south direction
 Speed
Speed is the distance travelled per unit time
Or Speed can also be define as the
rate of change of distance
Distance, s (m)
speed
time, t ( s )
The average speed is calculated by:
total distance travelled
average speed
time taken

SI unit: m s-1
 Velocity
Velocity is the speed in a given direction
Or velocity can also be define as the
rate of change of displacement
displacement, s (m)
velocity
time, t ( s )
The average velocity is calculated by:
total displacement travelled
average velocity
time taken

SI unit: m s-1
Speed is a scalar quantity and
it has magnitude but no direction

but

Velocity is vector quantity which

has both magnitude and direction
 Example 1

A B C
5 m in 2 s 4 m in 1 s

Calculate :
(a)Distance (c) speed
(b)Displacement (d) velocity 9
(c) speed
Solution : 3
(a) Distance = 5+4 = 9 m 1
3m s
9
(b) Displacement = 5 + 4 = 9 m (d )velocity
3
3 m s 1
Example 2
A B C
4 m in 2 s 4 m in 2 s

Calculate :
(a)Distance (c) speed
(b)Displacement (d) velocity
Solution : 16
(c) speed
(a)Distance
8
= 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16 m
2 m s 1
0
(b) Displacement
(d )velocity
8
= 4+ 4 4 4 = 0 m 0 m s 1
 Example 4

40 m in 3 s
30 m in 7 s
Calculate :
(a)Distance (c) speed
(b)Displacement (d) velocity
Solution : 70
(a) Distance
(c) speed
10
1
= 30 +40 = 70 m 7 ms
(b) Displacement 50
(d )velocity
= 40 2
30 2
50 m 10
1
5m s
Example 5
Usain Bolt runs a 100 m track in 9.58 s.
What is his velocity?

Solution :

s
velocity, v
t
100

9.58
1
10.44 m s
Acceleration
Acceleration is defined as the
rate of change of velocity

change of velocity
acceleration
time taken
final velocity - initial velocity

time taken
v u
a
t
Acceleration is a vector quantity
The acceleration
The acceleration is
is positive
positive ifif the
the
velocity increases
velocity increases with
with time.
time.

The acceleration
The acceleration is
is negative
negative ifif the
the
velocity decreases
velocity decreases with
with time
time

Negative acceleration is also called

deceleration
SI unit: m s-2
 THE DEFINITION OF THE

ACCELERATION : the rate of change of the

velocity

DECELERATION : the rate at which the

velocity of an object
decreases
The car was moved with acceleration

The car was moved with deceleration

Example 1
Using the information below, try to calculate the value of
acceleration :
Initial velocity, u = 0 ms-1
Final velocity, v = 50 ms-1
Time taken, t = 10 s

Solution:
vu
a
t
50 0

10
2
5m s
Example 2
Using the information below, try to calculate the value of
acceleration :
Initial velocity, u = 40 ms-1
Final velocity, v = 0 ms-1
Time taken, t = 10 s

Solution: v u
a
t
0 40

10
2
4 m s
Example 3
A van accelerated uniformly from a
velocity of 15 m s-1 to 20 m s-1 in 2.5 s.
What was the acceleration of the van?
Solution: u = 15 m s-1
v = 20 m s-1
t = 2.5 s

v u 20 15
a
t 2.5
2
2.0 m s
Example 4
A runner accelerates at a constant rate from
rest and reaches a velocity of 10 m s-1 after
5.0 s. what is his acceleration?
Solution: u = 0 m s-1 ( rest )
v = 10 m s-1
t = 5.0 s

v u 10 0
a
t 5
2
2.0 m s
Example 5

A motorcycle, travelling at 40.0 m s-1, takes

10 s to stop. What is its deceleration?

Solution: u = 40 m s-1
v = 0 m s-1 (stop)
t = 10 s

v u 0 40
a
t 10
2
4.0 m s
(1) v u at u = initial velocity
v = final velocity
(2) v u 2as
2 2 t = time
s = displacement or
distance
1
(3) s (u v)t a = acceleration
2
1 2
(4) s ut at
2
Fall towards the ground

u = 0 m s-1
(1) v u gt
a=g (2) v u 2 gs
2 2

1 2
(3) s ut gt
v = max
2

g = gravitational acceleration
Thrown vertically upwards

(1) v u gt
v = 0 m s-1

(2) v u 2 gs
2 2

a=-g
1 2
(3) s ut gt
2
u = max
Practice 1
A school bus accelerates with an acceleration
of 4.0 m s-2 after picking up some student at a
bus stop. If bus travelled after 5 s.
Calculate the:
(a) velocity
(b) distance
u = 0 m s-1
1 2
(b) s ut at
a = 4.0 m s-2
t=5s 2
(a ) v u at 1
05 45 2

0 4.0 5 2
20.0 m s 1 50 m
Practice 2
In the long jump event, Ahmad was running at a
velocity of 5 m s-1 towards the long jump pit. He
needed to achieve a velocity of 10 m s -1 after
covering a distance of 4.5 m before lifting himself
off the ground from the jumping board. Calculate
the required acceleration for Ahmad to do so?

v u 2as
2 2
u = 5 m s-1
v = 10 m s-1 10 5 2 a 4.5
2 2
s = 4.5 m
2
a 8.3 m s
Practice 3

A train moving at 20 m s-1 takes 10 s

to accelerate to 25 m s-1.
(a) calculate its acceleration.
(b) calculate the distance it travels
while it accelerates.
u = 20 m s-1
v = 25 m s-1
t = 10 s
1 2
(1) v u at (4) s ut at
2
25 20 a (10)
25 20
a
10
2
0.5 m s
Practice 4

A car starts from rest with a

constant acceleration of 2 m s .-2

what is its velocity after 5 s?

Practice 5
A cyclist riding at a velocity of 4 m s-1
braked with uniform deceleration and
stopped in 3.6 m. How long did he take
to stop.
Practice 6

A car accelerates at a uniform rate

from 5 m s-1 to 30 m s-1. The
acceleration of the car is 5 m s-2.
Find;
(a) time taken of car
(b) distance car travelled
Practice 7

A stone is thrown vertically upwards

at a velocity of 20 m s-1. If the
gravitational acceleration is 10 m s-
2
and the air resistance is
neglected, calculate:
(a) the time it will take stone to
reach the maximum height
Practice 8

A tap drips into a sink which

is 50 cm below the end of the
tap. If the gravitational
acceleration is 10 m s . How
-2

long does it take for each

drop to fall?
STUDY OF LINEAR MOTION

USING OF TICKER TIMER

TICKER TIMER
Tickertimer

Trolley
Tickertape

Track

Woodenblock

Power
supply
 A common way of analyzing the motion of objects
in physics labs is to perform a ticker tape analysis.
A long tape is attached to a moving object and
threaded through a device that places a tick upon
the tape at regular intervals of time.
As the object moves, it drags the tape through the
"ticker," thus leaving a trail of dots.
The trail of dots provides a history of the object's
motion and is therefore a representation of the
object's motion
The distance between dots on a ticker
tape represents the object's position
change during that time interval.

A large distance between dots indicates

that the object was moving fast during that
time interval.

A small distance between dots means the

object was moving slow during that time
interval.
Ticker tapes for a fast-moving and
a slow-moving object are depicted below.
 The analysis of a ticker tape diagram will also
reveal if the object is moving with a constant
velocity or with a changing velocity (accelerating).

A changing distance between dots indicates a

changing velocity and thus an acceleration.

A constant distance between dots represents a

constant velocity and therefore no acceleration.
Ticker tapes for objects moving with
a constant velocity and an accelerated
motion are shown below.
 The ticker timer can be used to
determine the following variables:

1.Time interval of motion

2.Displacement of the object
3.Velocity of the object
4.Acceleration of the object
5.Type of motion of the object
 Time Interval of Motion
The time interval between one carbon and
the next one on the ticker tape is known as
1 dot space of time or 1 tick.
The ticker timer vibrates at frequency of 50
Hz. Therefore, 50 dots will be marked on the
ticker tape in motion in 1 second.
One dot space or one tick is the distance
travelled by an object in 1 second =
0.02 second 50
To determine the time interval of
motion of the object:

Time interval
Time interval == Number
Number of
of tick
tick XX 0.02
0.02 ss
 5

dot tick

Referring to figure:
The time interval for 8 tick
= 8 x 0.02 s
 In the analysis of motion using the ticker
timer, the displacement of the object is
determined by measuring the length of the
ticker tape that pulled through the ticker
timer.
displacement = length of ticker tape

Referring to figure:
The displacement for 8 tick
= length of the first dot to last dot
= 5 cm
 Velocity of the object
With the quantities of time interval and
displacement, velocity can be calculate
using the following equation:
Displacement
velocity
Time taken
Length of ticker tape

Number of tick 0.02 s
 5

Refferring to figure:

displacement
velocity
time taken
5

8 0.02
1
31.25 cms
 Acceleration of the object
Direction of motion

t 6 1 0.02
s
u s 0.1 s
t v
t v u
0.8 a
1.8 t
0.02 90 40
1
0.02
40 cm s 0.1
90 cm s 1
0.4 m s 1 500 cm s 2
0.9 m s 1 5 m s 2
 Direction of motion

s s t 15 5 0.02
u v
t t 0.2 s
4 8 v u
a
5 0.02 5 0.02 t
40 cm s 1
80 cm s 1 80 40

0.2
0.4 m s 1 0.8 m s 1
200 cm s 2
2 m s 2
 PRACTICE
Direction of motion

Calculate the acceleration of the object

 Direction of motion

Calculate the acceleration of the object

Constant velocity
Direction of motion
acceleration
Direction of motion
 deceleration
Direction of motion
Constant velocity then
acceleration
Constant velocity then
deceleration
Acceleration then constant
velocity
Length/cm

Time
 Calculation:
(a) displacement = 4+8+12+16+20+24
= 84 cm
(b) Time of the motion, t = 6 x 10 x 0.02
= 1.2 s
(c) Average velocity displacement
total time
84

1.2
1
70 cm s
 Calculation:
(d) acceleration
u
s s t 6 1 10 0.02
v
t t 1.0 s
4 24 v u
a
10 0.02 10 0.02 t
1
20 cm s 120 cm s 1
120 20

0.2 m s 1
1.20 m s 1 1.0
2
100 cm s
1.0 m s 2
Length/cm
PRACTICE

FIND:
(a) Displacement
(b) Time interval of the motion
(c) Average velocity
(d) acceleration

Time