Chapter 1: Velocity and Acceleration: Method 1 in The Fi RST 3 Minutes The Average Velocity Is

Chapter 1: Velocity and acceleration
EXAMPLE 1.7.1
A passenger notices that a train covers 4 km in 3 minutes, and 2 km in the next
minute. Assuming that the acceleration is constant, find how fast the train is
travelling at the end of the fourth minute.
Method 1 In the first 3 minutes the average velocity is 43 km min−1 , so
this is the velocity of the train after 1 21 minutes . In the last minute the
average velocity is 2 km min−1, so this is the velocity after 3 21 minutes . It
( )
follows that in 3 21 1 21 minutes the velocity increases by (2 − 43 ) km min−1 .
So the velocity increases by 23 km min−1 in 2 minutes. This is an acceleration
of 31 km min−2 .
The velocity after 3 21 minutes is 2 km min−1 and in a further 1

2
minute it
increases by 21 × 31 km min−1 , which is 61 km min−1 .
So after 4 minutes the velocity is 2 61 km min−1 .
Method 2 Suppose that the velocity after 4 minutes is v km min−1, and

that the acceleration is a km min−2. The train travels 6 km in the whole
4 minutes, and 2 km in the last minute. Using the equation s vt 21 at 2
for each of these periods,
6 v 4 − 21 a × 16 and 2 1 − 21 a × 1, 15
giving 6 4v − 8 d 2 = v − 21 a.
Eliminating a from these equations,
16 × 2 6 = 16 ( − 21 ) − (4v
4 8a ), which gives 26 = 12v .
Therefore v = 26
12
= 2 61 .
The train is travelling at 2 61 km min−1 , which is 130 km per hour, at the

end of the fourth minute.
Exercise 1D
1 A cyclist travels from A to B, a distance of 240 metres. He passes A at 12 m s−1,
maintains this speed for as long as he can, and then brakes so that he comes to
a stop at B. If the maximum deceleration he can achieve when braking is 3 m s−2,
what is the least time in which he can get from A to B?
2 Aytown Beeburg City

9 km 7 km
The figure shows a map of the railway line from Aytown to City. The timetable is
based on the assumption that the top speed of a train on this line is 60 km per
Cambridge International AS and A Level Mathematics: Mechanics 1
hour; that it takes 3 minutes to reach this speed from rest, and 1 minute to bring
the train to a stop, both at a constant rate; and that at an intermediate station
1 minute must be allowed to set down and pick up passengers. How long must the
timetable allow for the whole journey
a for trains which don’t stop at Beeburg,
b for trains which do stop at Beeburg?
3 Two villages are 900 metres apart. A car leaves the first village travelling at 15 m s−1
and accelerates at 21 m s −2 for 30 seconds. How fast is it then travelling, and what
distance has it covered in this time?
The driver now sees the next village ahead, and decelerates so as to enter it at
15 m s−1. What constant deceleration is needed to achieve this? How much time
does the driver save by accelerating and decelerating, rather than covering the
whole distance at 15 m s−1?
4 A car rounds a bend at 10 m s−1, and then accelerates at 21 m s −2 along a straight

stretch of road. There is a junction 400 m from the bend. When the car is 100 m
from the junction, the driver brakes and brings the car to rest at the junction
with constant deceleration. Draw a (t,v) graph to illustrate the motion of the car.
Find how fast the car is moving when the brakes are applied, and the deceleration
needed for the car to stop at the junction.
5 A car comes to a stop from a speed of 30 m s−1 in a distance of 804 m. The driver
1
16
brakes so as to produce a deceleration of 2 m s−2 to begin with, and then brakes
harder to produce a deceleration of 32 m s−2. Find the speed of the car at the
instant when the deceleration is increased, and the total time the car takes to stop.
6 A motorbike and a car are waiting side by side at traffic lights. When the lights
turn to green, the motorbike accelerates at 2 21 m s−2 up to a top speed of 20 m s−1,
and the car accelerates at 1 21 m s−2 up to a top speed of 30 m s−1. Both then
continue to move at constant speed. Draw (t,v) graphs for each vehicle, using the
same axes, and sketch the (t,s) graphs.
a After what time will the motorbike and the car again be side by side?
b What is the greatest distance that the motorbike is in front of the car?
7 A roller-skater increases speed from 4 m s−1 to 10 m s−1 in 10 seconds at a constant rate.

a What is her average velocity over this period?
b For what proportion of the time is she moving at less than her average velocity?
c For what proportion of the distance is she moving at less than her average
velocity?
8 A cyclist is free-wheeling down a long straight hill. The times between passing
successive kilometre posts are 100 seconds and 80 seconds. Assuming his
acceleration is constant, find this acceleration.
9 A train is slowing down with constant deceleration. It passes a signal at A,

and after successive intervals of 40 seconds it passes points B and C, where
AB = 1800 m and BC = 1400 m.
a How fast is the train moving when it passes A?
b How far from A does it come to a stop?
Chapter 1: Velocity and acceleration
10 A particle is moving along a straight line with constant acceleration. In an

interval of T seconds it moves D metres; in the next interval of 3T seconds it
moves 9D metres.
How far does it move in a further interval of T seconds?
Miscellaneous exercise 1
1 A train leaves a station, starting from rest, with a constant acceleration of a m s−2.
It reaches a signal 100 seconds later at a speed of 40 m s−1. Find
a the value of a,
b the distance between the station and the signal.
2 A woman skis down a slope with constant acceleration. She starts from rest and is
travelling at 25 m s−1 when she reaches the bottom of the slope. The slope is 125 m
long. Find
a her acceleration down the slope,
b the time taken to reach the bottom of the slope.
3 A particle moves along a straight line ABC with constant acceleration.

AB = 50 cm and BC = 150 cm. After passing through A, the particle travels
for 2 seconds before passing through B, and for a further 3 seconds before
passing through C. Find the acceleration of the particle and the speed with
which it reaches C.
4 A car is travelling at V m s−1 along a straight road and passes point A at t = 0. 17

When the car is at point A the driver sees a pedestrian crossing the road at a
point B ahead and decelerates at 1 m s−2 for 6 seconds. The car then travels at a
constant speed and reaches B after a further 6 seconds. The distance AB is 180 m.
a Sketch a velocity–time graph for the car’s journey.
b Determine the value of V.
5 A car is travelling along a road. It passes point A at a constant speed of V m s−1,

and drives for T seconds at this speed. It then accelerates at a constant rate for
6 seconds until it reaches a speed of 2V m s−1. Maintaining this speed, it arrives at
point B after a further 2T seconds. The total distance travelled between A and B
was 528 m and the average speed was 20 m s−1. Find V and T.
6 A train starts from rest at a station A and travels in a straight line to station B,
where it comes to rest. The train moves with constant acceleration 0.025 m s −2 for
the first 600 s, with constant speed for the next 2600 s, and finally with constant
deceleration 0.0375 m s−2.
i Find the total time taken for the train to travel from A to B.
ii Sketch the velocity–time graph for the journey and find the
distance AB.
iii The speed of the train t seconds after leaving A is 7.5 m s−1. State the
possible values of t.
(Cambridge International AS and A level Mathematics 9709/41
Paper 4 Q5 June 2011)

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Chapter 1: Velocity and acceleration

The velocity after 3 21 minutes is 2 km min−1 and in a further 1

So after 4 minutes the velocity is 2 61 km min−1 .

Method 2 Suppose that the velocity after 4 minutes is v km min−1, and

Eliminating a from these equations,

The train is travelling at 2 61 km min−1 , which is 130 km per hour, at the

2 Aytown Beeburg City

4 A car rounds a bend at 10 m s−1, and then accelerates at 21 m s −2 along a straight

7 A roller-skater increases speed from 4 m s−1 to 10 m s−1 in 10 seconds at a constant rate.

9 A train is slowing down with constant deceleration. It passes a signal at A,

10 A particle is moving along a straight line with constant acceleration. In an

3 A particle moves along a straight line ABC with constant acceleration.

4 A car is travelling at V m s−1 along a straight road and passes point A at t = 0. 17

5 A car is travelling along a road. It passes point A at a constant speed of V m s−1,

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