Uniform Motion Word Problems and Acceleration Notes
Uniform Motion Word Problems and Acceleration Notes
Uniform Motion Word Problems and Acceleration Notes
Accelerated Motion
Acceleration (
) tells us how quickly the
velocity is changing. This means the object is
doing one (or more) of the following:
a) Speeding up
b) Slowing down
c) Changing direction
Acceleration is a vector and needs direction.
Formula:
Units: m/s2
Example 1:
A car accelerates from rest to a velocity of
+80.0 km/h in 6.3 s. What was the average
acceleration? What does this type of
acceleration mean?
Example 2:
A car traveling at +75 km/h slows down to +25
km/h in 4.3 s. What was the acceleration?
What does this acceleration mean?
How would your answer change if the car was
traveling in a negative direction?
Other equations
Sometimes we have to use more complicated
equations if we want to find out distance or if
we are not given enough of the information for
the a = v/t formula.
It is important to write down all the given
information and make an informed decision
about which formula to use.
Example 1: A car accelerates from 10.0km/h
to 45.0km/h in 13.0 s. How far has it traveled?
Starter:
The brakes of a certain car produce an
acceleration of 6.0 m/s2.
A)How long does it take the car to come to a
stop from a velocity of 30. m/s?
t = 5.0s
B)How far does the car travel during the time
the brakes are applied?
d = 75m
Velocity-Time Graphs
We already know how to read the following
from a v-t graph:
Time
Velocity
Average acceleration
Displacement
Sometimes we dont have constant acceleration
though (ie, a straight line or a constant slope on
a v-t graph). We can also read instantaneous
acceleration off a v-t graph in these cases.
To find ainst draw a tangent line at that point
and find the slope of the tangent line
Example 2:
Example 3:
d = 160m
d = +160m
t = 15s
d = 21m
vf = ?
v f vi at
Vf = 0 + (-9.81)(1.5) = -
or [down]
1
2
2
b) d vi t at
d = 0(1.5) + (-9.81)(1.5)2
Ex. 2:
A tennis ball is thrown straight up with an initial
velocity of +22.5 m/s. It is caught at the same
distance above ground from which it was
thrown.
A) How high does the ball rise?
B) How long does the ball remain in the air?
A) Given: vi = +22.5 m/s
a = -9.81m/s2
vf = 0 (at top)
v 2f vi2 2ad
0 = 22.5*22.5 + 2(-9.81)(d)
B)
t=