Motion

Everything is in motion and there are

only two possibilities.
2. Constant Velocity
v = zero or v = a value
2. Changing Velocity which is called
acceleration
 Velocity
• velocity is the rate at
which position
changes or
displacement changes
• V = ∆d/∆t
• Velocity is the slope
of d vs t graph
 Velocity
Displacement (m) Time (s)
0 0
20 1
40 2
60 3
80 4

DEB – Sketch the Graph. What is the Slope?

 Average vs Instantaneous
• Average speed is the total distance divided by
the total time.
– This is over a long time interval.

• Instantaneous speed is how fast are you going

now ie. - speedometer, radar gun, slope at a
point
- This is over a short time interval, with t
approaching 0
 Average Velocity
• You drive your car 200 miles in 5 hours.
What is your average velocity?
H-ITT A) 0 B) 20 C) 40 D) 100 mph
• But did you at any time travel exactly 40 miles
per hour?
• H-ITT A) Yes B) No C) impossible to tell
 H-ITT
Graph of d vs t
B)25 mph
200 C) 50 mph

150 D)100 mph

d in D) 150 mph
100
miles

50

1 2 3 4 5
t in hours
 H-ITT
Graph of d vs t
B) -150 mph
200 C) -100 mph
D) -50 mph
150
d in D) -25 mph
miles100
E) 0
50

1 2 3 4 5
t in hours
Instantaneous Velocity

• How could we get

the instantaneous
velocity of an air
track glider or lab
cart using a flag?
Instantaneous Velocity
• Time the flag as it
passes through
the photogate.
Measure the
length of the flag.
• V = d flag / t flag

• What happens as
the flag gets
Acceleration
• acceleration is the
rate at which velocity
changes
• a = ∆v/∆t
• a = (vf – vi)/(t2 – t1)
• vf = vi + at
• The acceleration is the
slope of v vs t graph
 Acceleration

• H-ITT
A) 0
40
V B) 8
(m/s) C) 40
D) 200
E) 0.13
5
t (s)
 Acceleration
• The slope of a velocity vs time graph is
acceleration a = ∆v/∆t
• If there is no slope, the acceleration is zero =
constant velocity
• If there is a positive slope, the velocity is
getting more positive.
• If there is a negative slope, the velocity is
getting more negative.
• The area under v vs t graph is displacement
 Acceleration

• H-ITT
A) 0
40
V B) 8
(m/s) C) 40
D) 200
E) 0.13
5
t (s)
 Acceleration

• H-ITT
A) 0
40
V B) -10
(m/s) C) -30
10 D) 20
E) 25
3 5
t (s)