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O Level Physics Tutorial Kinematics: Speed Distance Travelled/time Taken

This document provides an overview of key concepts in kinematics including: 1) Kinematics deals with motion without considering forces, while distance is how far something moves and displacement considers start and end points. 2) Speed is the rate of change of distance over time and is a scalar, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement over time and is a vector. 3) Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time and is a vector, occurring any time velocity changes in magnitude or direction. There can be uniform or non-uniform acceleration.

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Ashley Mutangiri
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66 views

O Level Physics Tutorial Kinematics: Speed Distance Travelled/time Taken

This document provides an overview of key concepts in kinematics including: 1) Kinematics deals with motion without considering forces, while distance is how far something moves and displacement considers start and end points. 2) Speed is the rate of change of distance over time and is a scalar, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement over time and is a vector. 3) Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time and is a vector, occurring any time velocity changes in magnitude or direction. There can be uniform or non-uniform acceleration.

Uploaded by

Ashley Mutangiri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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O level Physics Tutorial

KINEMATICS
 Kinematics is a branch of mechanics that is concerned with pure motion and
is not concerned with the forces involving those motion.
 Distance is length covered by a moving object.
 Displacement is the linear distance between two points. (end point and
starting point).
 SI unit for both is meters(m).
 The difference between the two is distance is a scalar quantity while
displacement is a vector quantity.
 A scalar quantity only has magnitude
 A vector quantity has magnitude and direction.
 Speed is the rate of change of distance and measured in meters per
second(m/s). It is a scalar quantity
Speed= distance travelled/time taken

 Velocity is the rate of change of displacement. Also measured in meters per


second(m/s). It is a vector quantity.
Velocity= displacement/time taken

 Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and is measured in meters per


second square(m/s*2). It is a vector quantity.
Acceleration= change in velocity/time taken

Whenever there is change in velocity, there is acceleration.


If velocity is not changing there is zero or no acceleration. But since velocity
is a vector quantity (magnitude and direction), so if the direction of a body
changes, velocity changes hence there is acceleration.

2 types of acceleration
1. Uniform acceleration- the rate of change of velocity remains constant.
The acceleration of a body does not change but remains the same. It does
not decrease or increase with time. It forms a straight line on a velocity
time graph.
2. Non uniform acceleration-the rate of change of velocity is not constant.
It either increases or decreases with time.
When an object speeds up it is called positive acceleration. An upward sloping
graph shows positive acceleration in a velocity time graph.

When an object slows down it is called negative acceleration thus deceleration. A


negative slope on a vt graph shows deceleration.

Velocity time graphs


Gradient on a velocity tie graph is acceleration.
The area under a vt graph is the distance travelled.
The steeper the graph the greater the gradient hence higher acceleration.

Free fall acceleration


It is that acceleration that is caused by the earth’s gravity which is constant near the
earth and is approximately 10m/s/s.
G= 10m/s/s
Falling without air resistance
Free fall is when it is falling and the only force acting on it is the gravity (which is
the same) and it accelerates until it hits the ground. For example, a feather and a
coin will hit the ground at the same time at same speed in a vacuum tube.
A body falling near the earths surface experiences a force called air resistance that
tends to slow the falling object since it acts in the opposite direction of the falling
object.
It increases as speed of the object increases until air resistance equals the weight of
the body and it starts to travel with uniform velocity called terminal velocity.
Your tutor

Fatima.

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