3e21 MOTION-1 a) The total distance d covered by the object is 

a) Definition of terms
Distance-It is the length between two points. d = AB + BC + CB = 5 km + 4 km + 4 km = 13 km 
It is a scalar quantity.
Its SI unit is the metre (m). b) The magnitude of the displacement is equal to
Other units include the kilometre (km), centimtre the distance from A (initial position) to B (final
(cm), millimetre (cm) etc. position) which is equal to 5 km. and the direction is
Note: In determining distance between two points to the EAST.
the direction at any point is not considered. The So, the displacement is 5km to EAST/ RIGHT.
direction along the path may keep changing or
remain constant. 1) Find the distance and displacement in the
Displacement-Shortest distance between two following case.
points in the direction of the motion or 500m
Distance covered in a specific direction. C B
A 2km B
Displacement is a vector which is defined as Total Distance= 2 km + 500 m=2 km + 0.5 km= 2.5
the shortest distance from the initial to the km
final point. Displacement=2km- 500m= 2 km-0.5 km=
Its SI unit is the metre (m). 2km- (500/1000 km)
It is a vector quantity. 2km-0.5 km= 1.5 km EAST / TO THE RIGHT.
2) An object moves from point A to B to C to D and
then back to A along the rectangle shown in the
figure below. 

WORKED EXAMPLES:
1) An object moves, along a line, from point A to B
to C and then back to B again as shown in the figure
below. 
Find the distance and displacement, when the
object moves from A to D, ALONG THE RECTANGLE.
Distance= 5 km+3 km + 5km =13 km
Displacement= 3 km to the SOUTH
a) Find the distance covered by the moving object. 

b) Find the displacement of the object. 

a) Find the total distance and displacement covered
Solution:
by the moving object, when
i) the body moves from A to B.

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ii) the body moves from A to B to C, along the b) Using Pythagoras’s theorem:
rectangle. (Hypotenuse)2 = ( adjacent)2 + ( opposite)2
Solution: AC2 = AB2 + BC2
DISTANCE=5 km + 3 km= 8 km AC= Square root ( AB ^2 + BC ^2 )
DISPLACEMENT = AC SQUARE ROOT OF (1 ^2 + 1 ^2 )
AC= Square root of ( AB ^2 + BC ^2)
AC = SQUARE ROOT OF ( 5^2 + 3 ^2 ) (Displacement)2 =12 + 12 =2
=√52 +32 Displacement =√2=1.41km North-East.
25 + 9 = 34

=√34=5.83KM SE 4) An object moves along a circle starting from A.

iii) the body moves from A to B to C to D, along the

rectangle.

iv)the body reaches back to A along the rectangle. 

Solution:
iv) The total distance d is equal to the perimeter of
the rectangle. Using the given scale, 
A to A, ALONG THE CIRCLE.
Distance, d = AB + BC+CD+DA = 5 +3+5+3 = 16 km  Distance=Circumference, C= 2* π *r = π * d
Distance=C= 2 * 3.14 * 3km=18.84 km
Displacement= zero. Displacement= 0 km
Since the moving object starts at point A and finish
at A, there is no change in the position of the object ii) A to C, ALONG THE CIRCLE
and therefore the displacement is equal to zero. DISTANCE= ½ * CIRCUMFERENCE
½ * 18.84= 9.42 KM
3) A bicycle rider travels 1km to East and then turns Displacement= 6 km to the right/ EAST.
through right angle and rides 1 km north.
Calculate the distance and displacement of the
C object
a) Along A TO B
Distance AND DISPLACEMENT from A TO B
Distance= ¼ (CIRCUMFERENCE)
¼ (2 X πX r) =1/4(2 X 3.14 X 3)
= (1/4)X)(18.84)
A
B Distance =4.71 cm
Displacement=
Calculate: √(( AO )2¿ + (OB )2 )¿
a) the distance he travelled. =√ (32 +32 )
b) his displacement. √ 18= 4.24 cm NE

Solution: b) Along A to B to C
a) The distance, d=1km+1km=2km DISTANCE FROM A TO C=1/2 (CIRCUMFERENCE)

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 = ½ (18.84 cm)
=9.42 cm
DISPLACEMENT=3cm+3cm=6cm to EAST
Distance, d = speed x time
D= v* t = 9 m/s × 4 s
Speed-Distance moved by the body in unit time. d= 36 m
distance
speed= 3) Find the time taken to cover 256 m at a speed of 8
time
v= d/ t m/s.
Time, t = distance
t= d/v
speed
t= 256 m ÷ 8 m/s
t= 32 s

Uniform speed or constant speed or steady speed

is the speed where body covers equal distances in
d= v* t unit time.
time, t = d/v 5m 5m 5m 5m
m/s
0s 1s 2s 3s 4s

Variable speed is the speed of a body moving

between two points with different speeds.
Also, distance = speed x time
4m 7m 2.5m 8m
time = distance
speed 0s 1s 2s 3s 4s

The SI unit of speed is metres per second (m/s). Average speed is defined as the total distance
It is a scalar quantity. travelled divided by the total time taken.

WORKED EXAMPLES total distance travelled

average speed =
1) If a car travels 24 m in 2 seconds, what is its total time taken
speed?
Speed, v = distance travelled ÷ time Av. Speed = 21.5 m / 4s= 5.375 m/ s
v=d/t
v=24 m ÷ 2 s Instantaneous speed is the speed of a body at a
v = 12 m/s. particular time e.g. the speedometer of a car shows
instantaneous speed. Note that the actual speed at
2) Find the distance travelled by a runner moving at any moment is usually different from the average
9 m/s for 4 seconds. speed.
Speed= distance/ time Velocity: The speed of a body in a specified
9 m/s =d/ 4s= direction or
9 m/s =d displacement in unit time or
4s rate of change of displacement.

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 Uniform/constant velocity is the velocity of a body
moving with a steady speed in a straight line.
If the body moves at a constant speed in curved
path then its velocity is not uniform.
v= d/t
B A 20 m/s
The SI unit is metres per second (m/s). - 20m/s
It is a vector quantity. A body travelling in opposite direction has a
WORKED EXAMPLES negative velocity.
1) Find the velocity of a train if it covers 1,000 Average velocity is defined as the total
metres in a south direction in 25 seconds. displacement divided by the time taken. It’s
considered where the speed of the body keeps on
changing.
Velocity, v= 1,000 m ÷ 25 s COMPARISON OF SPEED AND VELOCITY
v= 40 m/s south. SPEED VELOCITY
[Don’t forget the direction.] rate of rate of change of displacement
change of
2) You walk all the way around the house in the diagram distance
in 20 seconds.
distance
speed=
time

A scalar A vector quantity

quantity
Conversion of units of speed/velocity:

Case 1:
To convert from 1cm/s to 1m/s: divide by 100
Example : Convert 5.25 cm/s to m/s
5.25/ 100= 0.0525 m/s
a) What is your speed?
Case 2
b) What is your velocity?
a) Your Speed, v = distance travelled ÷ time
To convert from km/h to m/s: MULTIPLY BY 10/36
= (10 m + 10 m + 10 m + 10 m) ÷ 20 s

= 40 m ÷ 20 s OR DIVIDE BY 3.6

v= 2 m/s 1km/h=1km = 1000m =10 m

1h 3600s 36 s = 5/18 m/s
b) Your velocity is zero. This is because your
displacement is nothing. You have ended up at your 3.6 OR
original position. No net distance in a straight line Divide by 10/36
has been made between the start and end point.

Velocity= displacement/ time= 0/20= 0 m/s Acceleration, (a): the change in velocity in unit
time or the rate of change of velocity.
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The SI unit is metres per square second (m/s2). 3) Find the acceleration of the car, if it starts at 20 m/s
It is a vector quantity. and it reaches 12 m/s in 2 seconds.

The relationship between acceleration, velocity The change in velocity is v – u, which is 12 – 20 = -8

change and the time taken for the change is given m/s.
by this formula. The acceleration is the change in velocity ÷ time,
which is -8 m/s ÷ 2 s = -4 m/s2.
A minus sign means that the car is decelerating or
slowing down or its speed is decreasing.
v = final velocity in m/s;
u = starting or initial velocity in m/s; 4) A cyclist brakes and slows from 11 m/s to 3 m/s in
a= acceleration in m/s2. 2 seconds. Calculate the acceleration of the bike.
t-time taken for the acceleration in second (s).
The change in velocity v – u = 3 – 11 = -8 m/s.
The acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time
a= -8 m/s ÷ 2 s
a = -4 m/s2.

b) Movement patterns.
The train in the photograph below is moving.
a= (v-u)/ t
Time, t= (v-u)/ a
(v-u)= a* t
Final velocity, v= u + (a*t)

Deceleration/Retardation/negative acceleration is
when the velocity of a body decreases uniformly. It
will have a smaller final velocity than its starting
velocity.

WORKED EXAMPLES
1) A motorcycle goes from 0 m/s (rest) to 40 m/s in You can tell this because it looks blurred. The grass is not
8 seconds. Calculate the acceleration. blurred because it is stationary.
The train looks blurred because it takes the camera a
The acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time fraction of a second to take the picture. During this time,
a = (v-u)/t the train moves.
= (40-0)/ 8
a=5m/s2 Constant speed, changing speed.
2) Find the acceleration of a car, if it starts at 10 m/s The diagram below shows a flying owl. There is only one
and it reaches 30 m/s in 4 seconds.
owl, not five, but the camera took five pictures one after
the other at equal time intervals.
The change in velocity is v – u, which is 30 – 10 = 20
m/s.
The acceleration is the change in velocity ÷ time,
which is 20 m/s ÷ 4 s = 5 m/s2.

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  The camera detects a car as it passes over each
strip. A timer in the camera measures the time
taken by the car to travel from one strip to the
next.
 A mini-computer calculates the speed of the car.
If the car is speeding, the camera takes its photo.
From the diagram it can be seen that the owl is flying
from left to right at a constant speed since the pictures
are equally spaced.
The diagram below shows a steel ball bearing rolling
down a slope. The images are taken at constant time
intervals, but are getting further apart hence the ball is
speeding up.

Ticker timer.
A ticker timer is a piece of apparatus that records the
movement of an object. The moving object pulls a long
paper behind it. The ticker timer prints dots on the tape
at equal intervals of time.
ii) Light gates
It can be used in measuring the speed of moving objects
in the laboratory.
The diagram below shows the use of two light gates to
measure the speed of a moving trolley.
Each light gate has an invisible beam of infrared light.
When anything breaks the beam, light gate sends a pulse
of electricity to the timer.
In determining the average speed of a body in a given
c) Speed check. time interval, two light gates can be used; one connected
i) Speed camera. to the start terminal of the electronic timer and the
For safety of everyone, road traffic obey speed limit. other to the stop terminal as shown below.
Speed cameras may be used to check that the drivers
are not moving too fast.
One type of such camera works as follows:
 There are two detector strips on the road a
known distance apart.

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The timer records them time interval between the two
light gates. We can measure the distance between the
two light gates and using the relationship below find
speed.
distance
Speed=
time
Fractions of a second.
Light gates can measure very small time intervals –less
than a second which stop watches cannot. Light gates
can be connected to a computer to calculate the speed
of moving objects. Here you need avail the distance
between the light gates.

1) A car moves 12km to WEST, then turns to NORTH and 2) A car travels 10m to WEST, then 4 m to South, and
travels 5 km. turns again and travels 1m to EAST.
Find Find
a) The distance and b) displacement of the car. a) The distance and b) displacement of
10m
C B E 9m A

4m
5 km

C 1m D

B 12 km A Distance= 10m + 4m +1 m= 15 m.

Distance=12 km + 5 km = 17 km Displacement= Square root of ( 9^2 + 4^2)

= square root of (81 + 16)
Displacement=Square root of (12^2 + 5^2) = square root of 97
Displacement= square root of (144 +25) d=9.85 m SW
d= square root of 169= 13 km NW

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1) A car travels 4 km to east in 15 min, then turns to 1) Calculate the speed of the car in a) m/s, and in b)
North and travels a distance of 3 km in 10 min. km/h which has travelled 5 km. in 15 min.
a) Formula: Speed, v= d/t
3 km in 10 min. v= 5 km/ 15 min
= (5* 1000) m / (15 * 60 s)
4 km in 15 min = 5000 m
a) Find the average speed of the car for the whole 900 s
journey, in m/s. v=5.55 m/s
Av. Speed = Total distance/ total time b) Formula: Speed, v= d/t
Total distance= 4km + 3 km = 7 km= 7* 1000m= 7000 m v= 5 km/ 15 min.
Total time= 15 min. + 10 min.= 25 min.= 25 * 60 s= v= 5km / (15/60)h
1500s v= 5 km/ 0.25 h= 20 km/h
Av. SPEED =7,000m / 1500s=4.67 m/s
b) Find the average velocity of the car, in m/s.
Formula: Average velocity= total displacement/ total b) A car travels at a speed of 30m/s for 20 min.
time Calculate the distance travelled by the car.
Total displacement = square root of (42 +32) Formula : d=
= square root of (16 + 9)
= square root of 25= 5 km NE
Total time = 25 min.=1500 s CONVERT THE FOLLOWING AS INDICATED
Average velocity= total displacement/ total time = a) Convert 144 km/h into m/s.
= 5000m NE / 1500 s=3.33 m/s ALONG NE 144/ 3.6= 40 m/s
OR
Convert the following as indicated. 144 x(10/36)=1440/ 36=40 m/s
a) 144 km/h to m/s
144/3.6 = 40 m/s b) Convert 35 m/ s to km/h
b) Convert 25m/s to km/h 35 x3.6=126 km/h
25* 3.6 = 90 km/h OR
35 / ( 10/36)
c) Convert 75 m/s to km/h =35 X 36 = 126 km/h
75 * 3.6= 270 km/h 1 10

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NOTE v= 0 m/s (car has brought to rest)
1. If a car starts from REST, then its initial velocity is u=30m/s
ZERO; u= 0 m/s t=1 min=60 s
2. If a car is brought to rest (after applying the brakes), Formula : a= ( v-u)/t
then its final velocity is zero; v=0 m/s
3. Formula: Final velocity, v= u + (a*t) a= (0-30) m/s
Where 60 s
v= final velocity in m/s; a=-30/60=- 0.5 m/s^2
u= initial velocity in m/s; Note: The negative sign shows that the car was
a= acceleration in m/s2; slowing down/ decelerating/ decreasing speed.
t=time in second.
4. Formula: Acceleration, a= (v-u)/ t 3) A car travels at a uniform velocity of 28m/s. The
5. If a= positive value, then the object is speeding up driver slows down the car at the uniform rate of 4
(Increasing speed) m/s2 for 5s. Find the final velocity of the car.
6. If a= negative value (deceleration/retardation), then Formula : Final velocity, v= u + (a*t)
the object is slowing down (decreasing its speed). u= 28 m/ s
a= -4 m/s^2
Calculations t= 5 s
1) A car starts from rest and reaches a maximum v= 28 m/ s + (-4 *5 s)
velocity of 25 m/s in 4 s. v= 28 -20
a) Find its acceleration of the car. v= 8 m/s
Given: Initial velocity, u=0 m/s 4) A car travels at 25m/s for 5 min. and travels at 32m/s
Final velocity, v= 25m/s for 15min.
Time, t= 4s Find the average speed of the car for the whole
Formula: a= (v-u)/t journey.
a= (25m/s-0m/s) / 4s Average speed= (total distance)/ total time
a= 25/4=6.25m / s2 To find TOTAL DISTANCE:
Distance, d1 = v1 *t1= 25 m/s * (5*60 s) =7500 m
b) Find the distance it travels during it journey. d2= v2 * t2 = 32 m/s * (15 *60 s)=28,800 m
Formula: Average speed= (u + v)/2 Total distance=7500 + 28,800=36,300 m
Distance= average speed * time Total time = 5 min. +15 min=20 min=20*60=1200 s.
Av. Speed= (0 + 25)/2=12.5 m/s AVERAGE SPEED= 36,300m / 1200s=30.25 m/s
d= Av. Speed * time
d = 12.5 m/s * 4s= 50 m A 1 km B
2) A car was travelling at a uniform velocity of 30m/s.
The driver notices an obstacle on the road and
applies the brake, stops the car in 1min.
Find the acceleration of the car.

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