PHYSICS

KINEMATICS -
Describing Motion

Made By: Natashya,

Tiselle, Vanessa
Grade 11S
 Defining Speed

● Speed is the distance traveled per unit of

time. It is how fast an object is moving.

● Average speed is calculated over a period of

time.

Average speed= distance/time

● Système Internationale d’Unités (the SI
system).

● Distance is measured in metres (m) and

time in seconds (s). Units
(THE SI SYSTEM)
● Therefore, speed is in metres per second.
This is written as ms^−1(or as m/s). Here,
s^−1 is the same as 1/s, or ‘per second’.
There are four different ways to measure the speed of a
trolley in the laboratory as it travels along a straight
line.
● Measuring speed using two light gates
The leading edge of the card on the trolley breaks
the light beam as it passes the first light gate. This
starts the timer. The timer stops when the front of
the card breaks the second beam. The trolley’s
speed is calculated from the time interval and the Determining Speed
distance between the light gates.
● Measuring speed using one light gate
The leading edge of the card on the trolley breaks
the light beam. It stops when the other end of the
card passes through. In this case, the time shown is
the time taken for the trolley to travel a distance
equal to the length of the card. The computer
software can calculate the speed directly by
dividing the distance by the time taken.
Determining Speed
 ● Measuring speed using a ticker-timer
The ticker-timer marks dots on the tape at regular
intervals, usually (i.e. 0.02 s). The pattern of dots
acts as a record of the trolley’s movement.

Determining Speed

Inspecting the tape will give you a description of the

trolley’s movement/motion. Identify the start
of the tape. Then look at the spacing of the dots:
■■ even spacing – constant speed
■■ increasing spacing – increasing speed.
● Measuring speed using a motion sensor
The motion sensor transmits regular pulses
of ultrasound at the trolley. It detects the reflected
waves and determines the time they took for the trip
to the object and back. From this, the computer can
deduce the distance to the trolley from the motion
sensor. It can generate a distance–time graph to
determine the speed.
Determining Speed
 ● Distance refers to how much an object has
covered/traveled during its motion.

● Displacement is the distance moved by an object

in a particular direction.
Distance and
displacement, scalar Distance is an example of a scalar quantity. Scalar
and vector quantities have magnitude only. Other examples include
speed, volume, density, energy, mass, and time.

Displacement is an example of a vector quantity. A

vector quantity has both magnitude (size) and direction.
Velocity, force, acceleration, momentum are other
examples of vector quantity.
 What is Velocity?
The meaning of velocity of an
object can be defined as the rate of
change of the object's position with
reference to time.

Speed and Properties of Velocity

Velocity ● Vector quantity
● Have a SI base unit of m/s
● It is a derived quantity
Speed Velocity
Difference of
Speed is primarily a scalar
quantity.
Velocity is essentially a vector
quantity.
Speed and
Velocity
It is the rate of change of It is the rate of change of
distance. displacement.

Speed of an object moving Velocity of a moving object can

can never be negative. be negative.

Speed is a prime indicator of Velocity is the prime indicator

the rapidity of the object. of the position as well as the
rapidity of the object.

It can be defined as the Velocity can be defined as the

distance covered by an displacement of the object in
object in unit time. unit time.
The formula for calculating velocity is:

We can rearrange the formula to Calculating Velocity

find displacement as well as time.

Displacement= Velocity x Time

Time=

● S= Displacement
● V= Velocity
● T= Time
 Displacement-
time graph

● Drawing a displacement-time graph

can represent the changing position
of a moving object.
● The gradient of the graph represent
the velocity.
Deducing velocity from a A toy car moves along a straight track.
displacement-time graph Its displacement at different times is
shown in the table below.

Displacement /m 1.0 3.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0

Time /s 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

To work out the velocity of the car over the first

3.0 seconds, the gradient of the graph is
measured.

Velocity= gradient of displacement-time graph

 The straight line
shows that the object’s
velocity is constant.

Different types of
displacement-time The slope shows
graph which object is
moving faster. The
steeper the slope, the
greater the velocity.
The slope of this graph
is 0. The displacement
(s) is not changing.
Hence the velocity v=0.
The object is stationary.

The slope of this

graph suddenly
becomes negative.

This displacement-time
graph is curved. The
slope is changing.
 COMBINING
DISPLACEMENT
● Displacement can be found by
measuring the map.

● Calculate displacement using

Geometry and Trigonometry.

● Vector addition.

● Resultant of the vectors.

Q1. A spider runs along two sides of a table 1. Add the two displacements using Pythagoras
(Figure 1.13). Calculate its final theorem:
displacement.
OB^2 = OA^2 + AB^2
= 0.82 + 1.22 = 2.08
OB = 2.08^1/2 = 1.44 m ≈ 1.4 m

2. The angle θ is given by:

tan θ = opp/adj
= 0.8/1.2
= 0.667
θ = tan−1 (0.667)
= 33.7° ≈ 34°

So the spider’s displacement is 1.4 m at an angle of

34°
Q2. An aircraft flies 30 km due east and then 50 km
northeast. Calculate the final displacement of the aircraft.

● Not 90°.

● Pythagoras theorem
cannot be applied.

● Make a scale drawing.

● Measure the final

displacement.
1. Choose a suitable scale, in this case, a scale of 1
cm to represent 5 km is reasonable.

2. Draw a line to represent the first vector. The line

is 6 cm long, towards the east (right).

3. Draw a line to represent the second vector,

starting at the end of the first vector. The line is 10
cm long, and at an angle of 45°.
5. Measure the angle of the final
4. To find the final displacement, join the start to the displacement vector:
finish. Measure this displacement vector, and use
the scale to convert back to kilometres: angle = 28° N of E
length of vector = 14.8 cm
final displacement = 14.8 × 5 = 74 km Therefore the aircraft’s final
displacement is 74 km at 28° north of
east.
 ● Velocity is a vector quantity;

● Two velocities can be combined:

COMBINING VELOCITIES ● Vector addition.

● Similar to calculating displacement.

Q1. An aircraft is flying due north with a velocity of 200 m
s−1. A side wind of velocity 50 m s−1 is blowing due east. 2. Now sketch a vector triangle.
What is the aircraft’s resultant velocity (give the magnitude
and direction)? 3. Join the start and end points to complete the
Triangle.
A sketch diagram and Pythagoras’s theorem are enough to
solve the problem, since both velocities are at 90°.
4. Calculate the magnitude of the resultant
vector v.
1. Draw a sketch of the situation (Figure 1.16a).
v^2 = 200^2 + 50^2 = 40 000 + 2500 = 42 500
v = 42 500^1/2 ≈ 206 m s−1

5. Calculate the angle θ :

tan θ = 50/200
= 0.25
θ = tan−1 (0.25) ≈ 14°

So the aircraft’s resultant velocity is 206 m s−1

at 14° east of north.
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
 1. The tape in the figure below was pulled through a
timer by a trolley travelling down a runway. It was
marked off in tentick lengths.
a) Describe the motion of the trolley.
b) Find its acceleration in cm/s^2.

Answer:
a) Uniform acceleration
b)1st= 2cm / (⅕)s = 10 cm/s
4th= 11cm / (⅕)s= 55 cm/s
a= (55-10) / (⅗)s= 75 cm/s^2
2. State 3 difference between speed and velocity.

Ans: Scalar/vector, distance/displacement,

never negative/ can be negative,
rapidity/position and rapidity

3. A boy is standing on an elevator which is traveling

downward with a constant velocity of 30 meters per
second. The boy throws a ball vertically upward with a
velocity of 10 meters per second relative to the elevator.
What is the velocity of the ball, magnitude and direction,
relative to the elevator shaft the instant the boy releases
the ball?

Ans: 20 metres per second, down