Velocity and Acceleration

Chapter 2
 Displacement

● Distance – total length covered by moving object

irrespective of the direction of motion.
Is a scalar quantity

● Displacement – linear distance of the position of the moving

object from the reference point. Is a vector
quantity
A

4km

53.13
O o 3km
 Speed

● Speed – Total distance travelled over the total time taken

● Unit – meter per second, m/s or ms-1

Velocity, v = distance (s)

time (t)
= (m/s)
 Example Speed

Example01:

If an aeroplane travels a distance of 3500 km at a

constant speed for 6 hours, calculate

a) Its average speed in m/s

b) The distance travelled in 30 min

c) Time it takes to travel 300 km

 Solution Speed

Solution:

a. v=s/t

= (3500 x 103 )m / (6 x 3600) s

= 162.04 m/s

b. s=vxt

= 162.04 m/s x (30x60) s

= 291672 m

= 291.672 km
 Solution Speed

Solution:

c. t =s/v

= 300 x 103 / 162.04

= 1851.39 s

= 30.86 min
Example 02

If a motor car is traveling at a speed of 100

km/h, what is the speed in meters/second?
 Solution:

km  1h  1000m  1
100     27.78ms
h  3600s  1km 
 Graphs

● We can represent the distance travelled of moving object

by using graph distance-time.

● We also can represent the speed of moving object by

using graph speed-time.

● The speed of moving object can be determined from the

slope of graph distance-time.

● The distance travelled by an object can be determined

from area under graph speed-time.
 Graphs
Graphs

Speed/(m/s) Distance/m

400

300

20
200

100

5 10 15 20 5 10 15 20
Time/s Time/s
 Graphs

Example02:

An object moved from rest and the speed of the object is

plotted against time. By referring to the graph below, answer
the following questions.
 Graphs

Example02:

a) Determine the total distance travelled by the object for

the first 5 seconds.

b) For the last 5 seconds, did the speed of the object is

increasing or decreasing and calculate the distance
travelled by the object.

c) How far is the total distance travelled for the whole

motion?

d) Draw a graph of distance against time.

REST…. 5 minute

REST 5 MINUTE
 Graphs

Solution

a) Distance = area under the graph (area of a triangle)

= ½ (20)(5)

= 50 m

b) Speed is decreasing.

Distance = area under the graph (area of a triangle)

= ½ (20)(5)

= 50 m
 Graphs

Solution :

c) Distance = area under the graph

= ½ (20)(5) + 10 (20) + ½ (20) (5)

= 300 m

d)
 Velocity
● Linear velocity is a constant velocity. This means that
acceleration is zero (a = 0 m/s2)

● Increasing velocity means that acceleration is takes place.

Example: the car accelerates from 30 km/h to 80 km/h

● Decreasing velocity means that deceleration is takes place.

Example: the car decelerates from 80 km/h to 30 km/h

Velocity (m/s) Linear

velocity

Decreasing
Increasing
velocity
velocity
Relative Velocity
 Resultant Velocity

Example03:

An airplane fly 300 km/h northward while a jet stream

blowing 120 km/h to the east. Find the actual velocity (the
resultant velocity) of the aeroplane
 Formula

v = u + at

s = ½ (v + u)t

s = ut + ½ at2

v2 = u2 + 2as
 Cont.

u = Initial velocity
v = Final velocity
s = Distance
t = Time
a = Acceleration
 Acceleration

Example04:

A lift accelerates from rest uniformly at 0.9 ms-2 for 1.5 s.

Determine its velocity and its acceleration during the final 3
s of its travel

Solution:
Velocity,
u = 0 m/s
a = 0.9 m/s2
t = 1.5 s

and v = u + at
= 0 + 0.9(1.5)
= 1.35 m/s
 Acceleration

Solution:

Acceleration during the final 3 s

u = 1.35 m/s
v = 0 m/s
t =3s

and a = v – u / t

= 0 – 1.35 / 3

= - 0.45 m/s2
 Acceleration

Example05:

During a free fall an object is subjected to a gravity

acceleration of 9.8 m/s2. An object is released from rest
from a roof top of a tall building. If the height of the
building is 30 m determine

a) Final velocity before it hits the ground.

b) Time it takes to reach the ground.

 Acceleration

Example05:

Solution:

a)
u = 0 m/s
a = g = 9.8 m/s2
s = h = 30 m

so
v2 = u2 + 2as = u2 + 2gh
= 02 + 2(9.8)(30)
= 588
v = √ 588
= 24.24 m/s
 Acceleration

Example05:

Solution:

b)
v = u + at

t =v–u/a

= 24.24 – 0 / 9.8

= 2.47 s
 Exercise

1.If a train is travelling at 90 km/h, What is its

speed in
a.Kilometers/minute
b.Metres/second

2.If a man is walking at 1.8 m/s , calculate the

distance covered in 2 hours. (Ans : 12.96km)

3.If a car is travelling at 25m/s, calculate

a.The speed in kilometers/hour (Ans : 90km/h))
b.The distance in km covered in 12 min.
(Ans : 18km)
 Cont…

4.If a person runs a distance of 0.7km in 3 min.

what is his average speed in
a.Kilometers/hour (Ans : 14km/h)
b.Metres/second (Ans : 3.89m/s)

5.A car starting from rest accelerates uniformly at

2m/s2 for 10 seconds. Calculate
a.The distance travelled in metres (Ans : 100m)
b.The final speed in m/s (Ans : 20 m/s)
 Cont…

6. The velocity of a body increases uniformly from

15km/h to 40km/h while it travels 100m. Calculate
a.The acceleration in metres per second squared
(Ans : 0.53 m/s2 )
b.The time taken in seconds (Ans : 13.1 sec)

7.A stone is dropped down a shaft 160m deep.

Calculate
a.The time taken for the stone to reach the bottom
(Ans : 5.71 sec)
b.The velocity of the stone as it reaches the bottom .
Assume g = 9.81m/s2 (Ans : 56m/s)
 Cont…

8. A car, starting from rest, accelerates uniformly at 2

m/s2 for 10s. Calculate :

a. The distance travelled, in metres, and (100m)

b. The final speed, metres/second.(20 m/s)

9. Two trains are travelling on parallel tracks at speeds

of 30 km/s and 80 km/s respectively. Calculate the
relative speed of the trains if they are travelling :
a. In the same direction and
b. In opposite directions.