KINEMATICS

1
Kinematics is a branch of mechanics
that describes the motion of a body or
system of bodies without consideration of its
mass or forces involved. It aims to provide a
description of the spatial position of bodies
or systems of material particles, the rate at
which the particles are moving (velocity),
and the rate at which their velocity is
changing (acceleration).

In this chapter, we will examine the one

dimensional kinematics or the motion along
a straight line. Two important cases such as
motion with constant acceleration and
motion with varying acceleration will be
discussed. Then we will extend to motion
There are many objects around you that undergo and two or three dimensional kinematics or
motion. Whether it is a car driving down a street, a ball motion along curved paths.
rolling down a slope, a person climbing a hill or a
raindrop falling to the ground—all these are instances of
objects in motion. The study of the motion of objects and
the mathematics related to motion is called kinematics.
(Source: https://engieapp.com)

1.1 One-Dimensional Motion

One-dimensional motion is commonly known as a motion along a straight line and is

the simplest type of motion. To describe the motion, vector quantities such as displacement,
velocity and acceleration were used. Example is the motion of the soccer ball shown in Figure
1.1 which is initially at point at an initial time and with coordinate then later at time
landed at point with coordinate .

Figure 1.1: A soccer ball, considered as a body, moving from point P1 to P2.

Displacement ( ⃗ ) is defined as the change of the position of a body moving from its initial
position to which is its final position. Displacement can either have -, - or -
components depending on the direction of motion. For straight-line motion along the -axis,
the -component of displacement is mathematically defined as

(1-1)

where is the initial position and is the final position of the soccer ball. The SI unit for
displacement is in meters (m).

1
The average velocity (⃗ ) is the particle’s displacement divided by the time interval so the
SI unit is in meters/seconds (m/s). The -component of the average velocity is defined by

(1-2)

The instantaneous velocity ( ) is the velocity at any specific instant of time or specific point
along the path. It is defined by the limit of the average velocity as the time interval
approaches to zero. The -component of the instantaneous average velocity is defined by

(1-3)

The average velocity and instantaneous velocity can be interpreted using the graph of position
versus time. The average velocity is just the slope of the line segment p1p2 of the graph in
Figure 1.2(a) while the instantaneous velocity is just the slope of the tangent to the - curve
at p1 described in Figure 1.2(b).

(a) (b)

Figure 1.2: The - graph of (a) average velocity and (b) instantaneous velocity. (Source: Young &
Freedman, Univ. Physics with Modern Physics 13th Ed.)

Acceleration (⃗ ) is the rate of change of velocity with time.

(1-4)

where is the initial velocity at time and is the final velocity at time .The SI unit for
acceleration is m/s2.

The instantaneous acceleration (⃗ ) on the other hand is defined as the limit of the average
acceleration as the time interval approaches to zero or the instantaneous rate of change of the
velocity with time.

(1-5)

The - graph in Figure 1.3 shows the average acceleration and instantaneous acceleration.
The average acceleration is the slope of the line p1p2 while instantaneous acceleration at any
point is equal to the slope of the tangent to the curve at that point.

2
 Figure 1.3: The - graph showing the average and instantaneous acceleration. (Source: Young &
Freedman, Univ. Physics with Modern Physics 13th Ed.)

Note: Displacement and velocity are vector quantities that depends on the direction of the motion. If the
body is moving in the negative direction, and are both negative. If the body is moving in the
positive direction, and are both positive. If and have the same signs, the body is speeding
up or accelerating. If and have opposite signs, the body is slowing down or decelerating.

Sample Problems

1. Starting from the USTP gate you run 280 m north ( -direction) at an average speed of
5.0 m/s, then run 200 m south ( -direction) at an average speed of 4.0 m/s. Calculate
the total time and the average velocity from the gate to the final position.

Solution

We will use equation (1-2) to calculate the time it takes to run the 280 m north. Replacing
to and setting

| |
| | | |
| |

And the time it takes to run the 200 m south,

| | | |

So the total time it takes to run from the gate to the final position is

If the gate which is the starting position is at the origin , your final position will be at
Therefore, the average velocity is

̂
̂

2. The velocity of a car moving along the -axis varies in time according to the expression
( ) , where is in seconds.
a) Find the average acceleration in the time interval to .

3
 b) Determine the acceleration at .

Solution

a) Using the expression ( ) , calculate the velocities at each time.

At ( ) ( )
At ( ) ( )

From equation 1-4 we set ( ) and ( ) . Thus, the

average acceleration is

⁄ ⁄
⁄

b) The acceleration at refers to the instantaneous type of acceleration. Using

equation 1-5,

[ ⁄ ⁄ ] ( ) ⁄ ⁄

Therefore the acceleration at is,

( ) ⁄ ⁄

Motion with Constant Acceleration

A straight-line motion with constant acceleration has velocity changes at the same
rate throughout the motion. The motion of free falling bodies neglecting the effect of air
resistance and body sliding on an incline or along a rough horizontal surface are few examples
of motion with constant acceleration.

There are four equations of motion with constant acceleration. The first equation can be
derived from the equation of the average acceleration in equation (1-4). By setting ,
, and and deriving for equation 1-6 can be obtained.

(1-6)

The second equation (1-7) can be obtained by equating the average velocity described in
equation (1-2) and ( )⁄ .

( ) (1-7)

By substituting from equation (1-6) to (1-7), the third equation (1-8) can be obtained.

(1-8)

Lastly, solving for time ( ) in equation (1-6) and substituting it to equation (1-7), one can
obtain

( ) . (1-9)

4
Sample Problem

1. You brake your Toyota Innova car with constant acceleration from a velocity of 23.6
m/s to 12.5 m/s over a distance of 105.0 m.
a) How much time elapses during this interval?
b) What is the acceleration?
c) If you were to continue braking with the same constant acceleration, how much longer
would it take for you to stop and how much additional distance would you cover?

Solution

a) Solving for from equation (1-7),

( )
( )
( )

Thus, the time it takes for the car to brake is,

( )
( )

b) Solving for from equation (1-6),

c) Using equation 1-6, we can calculate the total time for the car to go from moving with
velocity to stop with

And from equation 1-8 the additional distance is

( ⁄ )( ) ( ⁄ )( )

Free Fall

Free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting upon it. The
term "free fall" may not necessarily be falling down in the usual sense of the term. An object
moving upwards would not normally be considered to be falling, but if it is subject to the force
of gravity only, it is said to be in free fall. Near the surface of the Earth, an object in free fall in
a vacuum will have a constant acceleration known as the acceleration due to
gravity.

Free fall is a vertical motion where the body has constant acceleration, so the motion can be
described by the four kinematics equations (1-6) to (1-9). Using the vertical coordinate axis
and taking the upward direction to be positive and downward direction to be negative so the
acceleration is , the equations of motion are:

(1-10)

5
 ( ) (1-11)

(1-12)

( ) (1-13)

Sample Problem

1. A football game customarily begins with a coin toss to determine who kicks off. The referee
tosses the coin up with the initial speed of 5.0 m/s. In the absence of air resistance,
a) what is the maximum height reached?
b) how long is it in the air?
c) what are the velocities of the coin at ?

Solution

a) From the equation ( ) , set and =0 then solve for ,

( )
( )

Thus, the maximum height reached by coin is 1.28 m.

b) From the equation solve for ,

( )

The coin stays 1.020 s in the air.

c) From equation ( ) solve for ,

( ) ( ⁄ ) ( ⁄ )( )

The velocity of the coin is +2.15 m/s in upward trip and - 2.15 m/s in downward trip.

Velocity and Position by Integration

In most cases, the acceleration of the moving body

is not constant. And in many situations, the acceleration is
known while its position and velocity as a function of time is
unknown. So how do we find the position and velocity in
straight-line motion from the acceleration function?

The graph in Figure 1.4 shows a body in straight line motion

with time-varying acceleration. From the graph, we can
divide the time interval between and into many smaller
Figure 1.4: 𝑎𝑥 -𝑡 graph.
(Source: Young &
Freedman, Univ. Physics
6
with Modern Physics 13th
Ed.)
intervals . The total -velocity change is the total area under the - curve. In the limit that
all the become very small, the area under the curve is the intergral of from to ,

∫ ∫

If we set , , and ,

∫ (1-14)

Carrying out the same procedure with the curve, the position of the body is

∫ (1-15)

Sample Problem

Chris is driving along a straight highway in an FJ cruiser. At , when he is moving at 10

m/s in the positive -direction, he passes a signpost at =50 m. His -acceleration as a
function of time is ( ) .
a) Find his -velocity and position as a functions of time.
b) When is his -velocity greatest? What is that maximum -velocity? Where is the FJ
when it reaches that maximum -velocity?

Solution

a) At , Chris’s initial position is and initial velocity . Using

equation 1-14, we can calculate for the final velocity.

∫ ∫[ ( ) ]
( ) ( )

We can calculate the position using equation 1-15,

∫ ∫[ ( ) ( ) ]
( ⁄ ) ( ) ( )

b) The maximum value of occurs when the x-velocity stops increasing and begins to
decrease. At the instant Thus,

( )

( )

Solving for time,

7
 The maximum velocity is therefore,

( )( ) ( )( )

And the FJ’s position at that time is,

( ⁄ )( ) ( )( ) ( )( )

1.2 Two or Three Dimensional Motion

The motion of a body in two or three dimensions can be

described by two or three components of position, velocity and
acceleration. For body in a point at a certain instant in Figure 1.5, the
location is described by the , and coordinates which are the three
components of the position vector ⃗ ,

( ) ( )̂ ( )̂ ( )̂ (1-16)

The displacement is the change of the position,

( )̂ ( )̂ ( )̂ (1-17)

The average velocity is the displacement divided by the time interval,

(1-18)

And the instantaneous velocity which is the instantaneous rate of Figure 1.5: The position
change In position with time is and displacement vectors.

(1-19)

It follows that the components of the instantaneous velocity are simply the time derivatives of
the coordinates , and .

(1-20)

The acceleration of a body in space will describe both the changes in the magnitude and
direction of its velocity. The average acceleration is defined as

(1-21)

The instantaneous acceleration is also equal to the instantaneous rate of change of velocity
with time,

(1-22)

8
There are two components of acceleration, the parallel acceleration ( ) and the
perpendicular acceleration ( ). Parallel acceleration is parallel to the body’s path while
perpendicular acceleration is perpendicular or normal to the path and these are used to
describe the changes in the body’s speed and direction of motion, respectively.

Projectile Motion

A projectile is any body given an initial velocity and follows a curved path (or
trajectory) determined by the effects of gravitational acceleration and air resistance. Example
of a projectile is a batted baseball, thrown football and a bomb dropped from an airplane.

The motion of the projectile has no acceleration in the -direction when neglecting air
resistance ( ) while the acceleration in the -direction is equal to the free-fall acceleration
( ) with its direction is towards the center of the earth. The trajectory of the projectile
shown in Figure 1.6 is a combination of horizontal motion with constant velocity and vertical
motion with constant acceleration.

Figure 1.6: The trajectory followed by the projectile. (Source: Source: Young &
Freedman, Univ. Physics with Modern Physics 13th Ed.)

Substituting to the equations for the horizontal motion, we find

(1-23)
(1-24)

And substituting , the y-component of the equations are

(1-25)

( ) (1-26)

(1-27)

( ) (1-28)

where , , and . The position of the projectile at

any time is √ , its speed is √ and direction .

In a level surface, we can determine the range ( ) and maximum height ( ) of the
projectile’s trajectory using the - and the -component of the equations above.

9
 ( )
(1-29)

(1-30)

Circular Motion

Circular motion is a movement of an object along the

circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path. It can be
uniform, with constant angular rate of rotation and constant speed, or
non-uniform with a changing rate of rotation.

In uniform circular motion (in Figure 1.7), the speed of the body is
constant and its acceleration is directed toward the center of the
circular path. The radial acceleration (also known as centripetal
acceleration) is

(1-31)

where is the time for one revolution where the particle travels a
distance equal to the circumference .
Figure 1.7: Uniform
Circular motion. (Source:
If the speed varies, the motion is known as nonuniform circular motion. https://physics.stackexch
In this type of motion, there are two components of acceleration; one is ange.com
perpendicular to the instantaneous velocity described in eqn. 1.31; and one
is parallel to the instantaneous velocity also known as the tangential acceleration ,

(1-32)

Sample Problems

1. A Pomeranian dog is at the origin of coordinates at time . For the time interval from
to , the dog's average velocity has -component and -
component . At time ,
a) what is the - and - coordinates of the dog?
b) how far is the dog from the origin?

Solution

a) The -coordinate is ( )( ) , and - coordinate is

( )( )

b) The distance is √ √( ) ( )

2. A motorcycle stunt rider rides off the edge of a cliff. Just at the edge, his velocity is
horizontal, with a magnitude of 9.0 m/s. After 0.5 seconds, what is the motorcycle’s
a) position?
b) distance from the edge of the cliff?
c) velocity after 0.50s?

10
Solution

a) Calculating for the and position,

( )( ) ,
( )( )

b) The distance is,

√ √( ) ( )

c) The - and -components of the velocity after 0.50 s are,

( )( )

The velocity vector is ̂ ̂.

The magnitude of the velocity is √ √( ) ( ) .

( )
The direction is or 28.6o below the -axis.
( )

3. Passengers on a carnival ride move at constant speed in a horizontal circle of radius 5.0
m, making a complete circle in 4.0 s. What is their speed and acceleration?

Solution

Solving for the speed, .

Solving for the acceleration, .

11
 Exercise No. 1

1. A car is stopped at the traffic light. It then travels along a straight road so that its distance from the
light is given by ( ) where b=2.40 m/s2 and c=0.120 m/s3.
a) Calculate the average velocity of the car for the time interval t=0 to t=10.0 s.
b) Calculate the instantaneous velocity of the car at t=0 and t=10.0s
c) How long after starting again from rest is the car again at rest.
2. If a student jumps straight up to a height of 0.440m, what is his initial speed as it leaves the ground?
How long is he in the air?
3. A car heading east through a city accelerates after passing a signpost marking the city limits. It is
accelerating at constant magnitude of 3.0 m/s2. At time t = 0 the car is 5.0 m east of the signpost,
moving east at 15 m/s.
a) Find the car’s position at t=2.0 s.
b) Find the car’s velocity at t=2.0 s.
c) Where is the car when its velocity is 25 m/s.
4. You are standing on the sci.com. building 46.0 m high above the ground. Your classmate, 1.8 m tall, is
walking alongside the building at a constant speed of 1.20 m/s. If you wish to drop an egg onto his
head,
a) where should he be when you release the egg? Assume that the egg is in free fall.
b) what will be the velocity of the egg when it hits his head?
5. In a 300-m race, runner A starts from rests and accelerates at 1.6m/s 2 for the first 30 m and then
runs at a constant speed. Runner B starts from rests and accelerates at 2.0m/s 2 for the first 30m and
then runs at a constant speed. Runner A begins running as soon as the race begins but B firsts takes
a nap to rest up. What is the longest nap that B can take and still not to lose the race?
6. You are operating a remote-controlled model car on a vacant tennis court. Your position is the origin of
coordinates, and the surface of the court lies in the -plane. The car, which we represent as a point,
has x- and y- coordinates that vary with time according to

a) Find the car’s coordinates and its distance from you at time t = 2.0 s.
b) Find the car’s displacement and average velocity vectors during the interval from
t = 0 s to t = 2.0 s.
c) Find the components of the average acceleration in the interval from t = 0 s to t =
2.0 s.
7. A daring 510-N swimmer dives off a cliff with a running horizontal leap,
as shown in the Figure. What must her minimum speed be just as she
leaves the top of the cliff so that she will miss the ledge at the bottom,
which is 1.75 m wide and 9.00 m below the top of the cliff?
8. A batter hits a baseball so that it leaves the bat with an initial speed
37.0 m/s at an initial angle 53.1o, at a location. Find
a) the position of the ball at t = 2.00 s.
b) the magnitude and direction of its velocity,
when t = 2.00 s. (Source: Young & Freedman,
c) the time when the ball reaches the highest point of its flight. Univ. Physics with Modern
d) its maximum height, . Physics 13th Ed.)
e) its horizontal range, .
9. A model of a helicopter rotor has four blades, each 3.40 m
long from the central shaft to the blade tip. The model is rotated in a wind tunnel at 550 rev/min (a)
What is the linear speed of the blade tip, in (b) What is the radial acceleration of the blade tip
expressed as a multiple of the acceleration of gravity, g?
10. A Ferris wheel of radius 12m is turning about a horizontal axis through its center, such that the linear
speed of a passenger on the rim is constant and equal to 9m/s.
a) What are the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of the passenger as he passes
through the lowest point in his circular motion?
b) How long does it take for the Ferris wheel to make one revolution?

Answers:

1. a) ; b) 4. ; 8. a) ,
, ; c) 5. b) , 24.2o above
6. a) , , horizontal c)
2. ; d) e)
3. a) ; b) b) ( )̂ ( ) ̂, 9. a) 196 m/s
; c) ( )̂ b) 1.15x103g
( )̂ 10. a) 6.75 m/s2 b) 8.38 s
7. 1.29 m/s

12
 KINEMATICS

Name: ____________________________________ Section: _________________________

1
PROBLEM SET

Instructor: _________________________________ Date Submitted: __________________

1. A car is traveling 30 m/s and approaches 10 m from an intersection when the driver sees
a pedestrian and slams on his brakes and decelerates at a constant rate of 50 m/s2.
a) How long does it take the car to come to a stop?
b) How far does the car travel before coming to a stop? Does the driver brake in time to
avoid the pedestrian?

2. You are standing on the science building 46.0 m high above the ground. Your classmate,
1.8 m tall, is walking alongside the building at a constant speed of 1.20 m/s. If you wish
to drop an egg onto his head,
a) where should he be when you release the egg? Assume that the egg is in free fall.
b) what will be the velocity of the egg when it hits his head?

13
3. You are operating a remote-controlled model car on a vacant tennis court. Your position is
the origin of coordinates, and the surface of the court lies in the xy-plane. The car, which
we represent as a point, has x- and y- coordinates that vary with time according to

( ⁄ ) ( ⁄ ) ( ⁄ )

a) Find the car’s coordinates and its distance from you at time t = 2.0 s.
b) Find the car’s displacement and average velocity vectors during the interval from
t = 0 s to t = 2.0 s.
c) Find the components of the average acceleration in the interval from t = 0 s to
t = 2.0 s.

4. A batter hits a baseball so that it leaves the bat with an initial speed at an
initial angle , at a location. Find the following,
a) the position of the ball at t = 2.00 s
b) the magnitude and direction of its velocity, when t = 2.00 s
c) the time when the ball reaches the highest point of its flight
d) its maximum height,
e) its horizontal range, R.

14
5. A Ferris wheel of radius 12m is turning about a horizontal axis through its center, such
that the linear speed of a passenger on the rim is constant and equal to 9m/s.
a) What are the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of the passenger as he
passes through the lowest point in his circular motion?
b) How long does it take for the Ferris wheel to make one revolution?

15
 LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 1

Kinematics

I. Objectives:

1. To determine whether or not the acceleration of the Dynamic Cart is constant as it

moves horizontally.
2. To study the relationship between the acceleration of an object down an incline to its
angle of inclination.
3. To determine the acceleration due to gravity of the free falling object.
4. To study the projectile motion and to verify and describe how the angle of projection
affects the range and maximum height reached by the projectile.

II. Introduction:

In Part 1 of this activity, the Dynamics Cart will be used to investigate a one
dimensional accelerated motion. The cart will be launched over the Dynamics track using the
built-in spring plunger. The cart will slow down the track under the combined action of rolling
friction and floor slope. Initially, the acceleration is assumed constant and the results are
examined if they are consistent with this assumption.

The following equations are used to find the acceleration of the Dynamic’s cart: (where D is
the total distance travelled, and T is the total time elapsed).

D
vave  average velocity of the interval (1.1)
T
v  vo 0  vo 2D
v ave    v 0  2v ave  initial instantaneous velocity (1.2)
2 2 T
v 0  v0 2D
a   2 acceleration of the Dynamics Cart (1.3)
t T T

If the acceleration a and v are known, then the time, t, required to cover the distance (d) to
some intermediate point (i.e. short of the final stopping point!) can be calculated by applying
the quadratic formula to:

1 2
d  v0 t  at (1.4)
2
1 2
at  v0 t  d  0 (1.5)
2

In Part 2 of this activity, the cart will be allowed down the

incline as it is pulled by gravity. The acceleration due to gravity
is straight down. The component of gravity which is parallel to
the inclined surface is (see Figure 1.1), so this is the net
acceleration of the cart, neglecting friction. The acceleration can
be measured using the equation

2d (1.6)
a
t2
Figure 1.1

16
Part 3 of this activity involves measurements of distance and time for a freely falling body in
order to verify theoretical predictions and to verify the value of g, the acceleration due to
gravity. You will analyze the data to determine a functional relationship of distance vs. time
and check this with what you would expect from the theoretical equations. This method is
used extensively in scientific work.

The equation of distance as a function of time for a freely falling object is described, according
to theory, by the equation

( ) (1.7)

where we are picking a coordinate system in which downward direction is positive. In the
situation in this experiment the object will be dropped from rest ( ) and the distance
that it falls will be measured from the release point ( ). Thus, the equation becomes:

( ) (1.8)

(We picked a coordinate system with down for the positive direction to make this equation
positive instead of negative.) As seen from the functional dependence, if distance vs. time is
plotted, the graph is a parabola. If a graph of distance vs. time squared is made then the
graph will make another type of function.

Part 4 of this activity is to study the projectile motion of a body through a region of space
where it undergoes a constant vertical acceleration equal to 9.8 m/s2 and a constant horizontal
velocity.

Figure 1.2: The trajectory followed by the projectile. (Source: Young &
Freedman, Univ. Physics with Modern Physics 13th Ed.)

The range, R, is the horizontal distance between the launching and landing point (Figure 1.2).
It can be calculated using this equation:

x  (vo cos )t (1.9)

where:
vo = initial speed of the object
= angle of inclination above the horizontal
t = total time of flight ( )

17
 When the object lands at the same elevation from which it was launched, the initial
velocity can be determined using the equation

vo sin 2
2

R (1.10)
g

and the maximum height can be calculated from the equation

( ) (1.11)

III. Materials and Apparatus:

Dynamics Cart with mass, Dynamics Track, stopwatch, iron stand, Voltage supply,
Magnetic Coil, Iron stand, Connectors, (NC push-button) Switch, Metal sphere, Meter Stick,
Clamp, Mini Launcher, steel ball, carbon paper, white paper.

IV. Procedure:

Part A. Horizontal Motion of Dynamics Cart

Figure 1.2: Dynamic cart and track set-up.

1. Set up the Dynamics Cart Track horizontally on the table as shown in the Figure 1.2.
Adjust the lever until the track is fully horizontally level.
2. Practice launching the Dynamics Cart to a stop and get the average total distance D.
To do it, cock the spring plunger by pushing it in, and then push it slightly upward to
allow one of the notches on the plunger bar to ―catch‖ on the edge of the small metal
bar at the top of the hole. (NOTE: If the timer feels that distraction interfered with the
measurement, don't count that trial.) Practice this step a few times before you start
recording data.

NOTE: To eliminate reaction time errors, have the person who launches the cart also
be the timer!

3. Determine D, the total distance travelled (from the launched to a stop point). Using
masking tape (or a chalk), mark a distance d that is about halfway out from the start.
Measure the elapsed time T to travel a total distance D and the elapsed time tEV to
travel d. Record your best six trials in Table 1.1.
4. Do the calculations needed to complete the table.
5. Compare the calculated values of tTV with the directly measured values. The extent to
which the calculated values agree with the directly measured values is an indication of
the constancy of the acceleration of the cart.

18
Part B. Dynamics Cart in an Inclined Plane

Figure 1.3: Dynamic cart and track set-up.

1. Using the same set up in step 6 of Part 1, change the elevation to 10 cm. Pull the cart
to the higher elevation of the track and record this as the initial position of the cart.
2. Release the cart from rest. Using a stopwatch, record the time it takes to hit the end
stop. Repeat this measurement 3 times. Record all the values in Table 1.2.
3. Lower the end of the track by 2 cm increment and repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Calculate and record the average time for each height and the total distance travelled.
5. Measure the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the track and use this to calculate
for each of the heights.
6. Repeat the experiment. This time, add mass on the cart. Record you data in table 1.3.
7. Plot acceleration versus . Draw the best-fit straight line and calculate its slope
(this slope should be equal to ).
8. Calculate the percentage error between the slope and .

Part C. Free Fall

1. Position the iron stand near the edge of the table (see
figure).
2. Fix the induction coil in the iron stand with the use of a
clamp. See to it that the position of the attached metal
ball has a measured vertical distance specified in table 4.1
with respect to any reference level (the surface where
your ball comes to a stop). The ball will automatically stick
in the tip of the induction coil after you have done step 3.
3. Set the power supply to 3 VDC. Connect the induction coil
to the voltage supply with the use of connectors and push
button switch. Turn on the voltage supply (Check the
circuit connection before turning on the power).
4. Position the metal ball at the tip of the induction coil.
Release the ball by clicking the push button switch and
record the time it takes to hit the ground/floor using a
stopwatch. Record the time t in seconds on table 1.4. Do Figure 1.4: Free fall set-up.
four trials on time of fall on the selected measured
vertical distance.
(Note: The same person should operate the voltage supply and stopwatch to minimize
the percentage error)
5. Repeat the same procedure for different vertical distances and record all the data on
table 1.4
6. For each distance, a value for g can be obtained using ( ) .
7. After collecting these data from the above steps, calculate the value of g and record it
on Table 1.4.
8. The average experimental value of g should be calculated and recorded based on four
preselected distances.

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 9. Compare the average experimental value to the theoretical known value of g by taking
its percentage error.
10. On the graph paper, plot the data points collected in your experiment (distance y vs.
Average time tave). On the same graph make a smooth plot of the equation
11. Next make a plot of ( ) vs. on the graph paper.

Part D. Projectile Motion

Figure 1.5: Launching on a level surface.

1. Clamp the Mini Launcher near one end of the table aimed so the steel ball will land on
the same horizontal surface (Figure 1.5).
2. Adjust the angle of the Mini Launcher to twenty-five (25o). Put the steel ball into the
Mini Launcher and cock it to medium range (2nd) if using Type A launcher. Type B
need not to be adjusted. Use the set range all throughout the experiment.
3. Fire a test shot to locate where the ball hits the table. At this position, tape a piece of
white paper with a carbon paper on top of it to locate the landing point of the ball.
4. Measure the horizontal distance from the muzzle to the landing position of the ball.
Record in Table 1.5. Fire about three shots (three trials).
5. Solve for the average range (Rave) and the initial velocity of the ball using Equation
1.10 and the maximum height using equation 1.11.
6. Repeat procedures 2-5 for the remaining angles.
7. Using the data gathered, plot the ―range vs. angle" on graph 1.2 and ymax vs. angle on
graph 1.3. and draw a smooth curve through the points.

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 Date Performed:
University of Science and Technology Date Received:
of Southern Philippines
Department of Physics Content (65%)
Performance (15%)
School Year 20__ to 20__ Neatness (10%)
First/Second/Summer/ Semester Promptness (10%)

Score/Rating:

Name:_____________________________________________ID No: ___________________

Section Code: _____________________________ Course & Year: _____________________
Group No: ___________Instructor’s Name & Signature: _____________________________
Leader: _____________________
Members: ___________________ ____________________ ______________________
___________________ ____________________ ______________________
___________________ ____________________ ______________________

LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 1

Kinematics

I. Data and Results:

Part A. Horizontal Motion of Dynamics Cart

Table 1.1
Horizontal Motion
D
d= = _______m
2
Trial Experimental Theoretical % Diff.
tEV(s) T (s) D (m) vo(m/s) a(m/s2) tTV(s)

1
2
3
4
5
6
Note: tEV – experimental value , tTV – theoretical value

Part B. Dynamics Cart in an Inclined Plane

Table 1.2
Travel Time per Height Increment

Height of Track Time of Travel (s)

(cm) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Ave. Time (s)
10
8
6
4
2
Length of the track, d = _________________

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 Table 1.3
Acceleration versus sin θ

Height Time of Travel (s) Acceleration Experimental Sinθ=opp./hyp %

of (m/s2 ) error
Trial Trial Trial Ave.
Track (gsinθ)
(cm) 1 2 3 Time
(s)
10
8
6
4
2
Slope: __________

Part C. Free Fall

Table 1.4
Distance vs. Time

Height Time of Travel (s) Value of g

(cm) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 t ave (m/s2)
100
120
140
160
Average acceleration due to gravity by experiment, gev (m/s2)
Acceleration due to gravity by standard, gtv (m/s2) 9.8
*Percentage Error (% error)
| |
* Percentage error=

Graph 1.1: vs.

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Part D. Projectile Motion

Table 1.5
Shooting on a Level Surface

Angle of HORIZONTAL DISTANCE, R (m) Rave (m) vo (m/s) Ymax

Inclination
(degree) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
25
35
45
55
65

Graph 1.2: Ymax vs. Angle

Graph 1.3: Range vs. Angle

R

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II. Computations:

III. Discussion of Results:

IV. Conclusion:

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V. Answers to Questions:

Part A. Horizontal Motion of Dynamics Cart

1. Is there a systematic difference between the experimental and calculated values of ?

Enumerate possible factors that would account for this difference.

Part B. Dynamics Cart in an Inclined Plane

1. How did the cart’s ―deceleration‖ affected by the slope?

2. Describe how the angle affects the acceleration of an object.

Part C. Free Fall

1. Compare your data points with the theoretical plot in the graph of y vs t. How well does
your data match the theory?

2. From your data table, what was the range of values for g that was obtained? Does the
actual value of g fall within this range? Does it fall within one standard deviation of your
mean value?

3. Suppose you hold an object motionless about 4 ft. above the ground and then let it fall to
the ground without interference. About how long does it take to hit the ground? (Use your
equations and compare it to the value found from your y vs.t graph.)

Part D. Projectile Motion

1. What firing angle gives the maximum range?

2. Is the maximum range further when the ball is ―shot off the table‖ or ―on the level
surface‖?

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