Motion and Kinematics

Motion

Uniform Motion

• An object moves with a constant velocity (speed and direction)
• The object travels an equal distance in an equal time interval
• The acceleration of the object is zero
• Example: a car moving on a straight road with a constant speed

Non-Uniform Motion

• An object moves with a changing velocity (speed and/or direction)
• The object travels an unequal distance in an equal time interval
• The acceleration of the object is not zero
• Example: a car accelerating from rest or turning around a curve

Acceleration

• The rate of change of velocity
• A vector quantity with both magnitude (amount of change) and direction
• Can be positive (acceleration) or negative (deceleration)
• Units: m/s² (meters per second squared)

Graphs of Motion

• Position-Time Graphs
  • Show the position of an object over time
  • Slope represents velocity
  • Curvature represents acceleration
• Velocity-Time Graphs
  • Show the velocity of an object over time
  • Slope represents acceleration
  • Area under the curve represents displacement

Equations of Motion

• Kinematic Equations
  • Describe the motion of an object without considering the forces acting on it
  • Three equations:
    1. v = u + at (velocity = initial velocity + acceleration × time)
    2. s = ut + (1/2)at² (displacement = initial velocity × time + (1/2) × acceleration × time²)
    3. v² = u² + 2as (final velocity² = initial velocity² + 2 × acceleration × displacement)
• Applications
  • Solving problems involving motion, such as finding the velocity, displacement, or acceleration of an object
  • Analyzing and interpreting motion graphs and data