SOLVE OFPROBLEMS

LINEAR MOTION FROM

V E L O C I T Y- T I M E G R A P H
From velocity-time graph we can find the total distance because the distance of the
journey is equal to the area under the graph.

Total Distance = Area S1+ Area S2+Area S3

= Total area under the graph
= Area of triangle (S1) + Area
of rectangle (S2) + Area
area of triangle (S3)
or = Area of triangle (S1) + Area
of trapezium (S2 & S3)

1
1 Area of trapezium = a+b h
Area of triangle (S1) = x height x base 2
2
Area of rectangle (S2) = height x base
A car starts from rest and accelerate at a rate of 2m s −2 for 5s. Thereafter, it moves at the same
speed for 9s. The brakes are then applied and the car stops in 6s.
a) What is the maximum velocity attained by the car?
b) Plot the velocity-time graph for the whole journey.
c) From the graph plotted, determine the total distance travelled.

a) Maximum velocity attained by the car

v= u + at
= 0 + (2 x 5)
= 10 𝐦𝐦 𝒔𝒔−𝟏𝟏
 A car which travelling at a velocity of 5m s −1 increase its velocity to 20m s −1 in 5s. Then, it
moves at the same velocity for 10s before it stops 10s later.
a) Sketch the velocity-time graph. c) Calculate the total distance travelled.
b) Calculate the acceleration in the first 5s. d) Calculate the average velocity
c) The distance travelled is the
area under the velocity-time
graph.

d) Average velocity
Total displacement,s
v=
Total Time taken,𝑡𝑡
362.5 m
=
25 𝑠𝑠

b) Acceleration, a = ? = 14.5 m s −1
vA = 5 m s −1
vB = 20 m s−1
t=5s
vB= vA + at
a = (vB - vA )/t
20 −5
=
5
= 3 𝐦𝐦 𝒔𝒔−𝟐𝟐
A car travels in a straight line. It’s velocity increases from 20m s −1 to 35m s −1 in 5s. It then maintains it’s
velocity for 10s before it stops in 10s later.
a) Sketch the velocity-time graph for the journey. c) Calculate the total distance travelled
b) Calculate the acceleration in first 5s. d) Calculate the average velocity

c) Total distance,
sT = area under the graph
= s1 + s2 + s3
1 1
= (20 + 35)5 + (35 x 10) + (35 + 10)
2 2
= 137.5 + 350 + 175
= 662.5 m

b) Acceleration =
(Final velocity −Initial 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣) d) Average velocity
Time taken
Total displacement,s
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢) v=
a= Total Time taken,𝑡𝑡
𝑡𝑡 662.5 m
𝑚𝑚 𝑚𝑚
(35 𝑠𝑠 −20 𝑠𝑠 ) =
25 𝑠𝑠
a=
5 𝑠𝑠 = 26.5 m s−1
=3m s −2
The graph below shows the motion of a boy on his bicycle.
a) Describe the motion of the boy represented by line OA, AB, BC and CD
b) Calculate the acceleration at point OA and BC
c) Calculate the deceleration at point CD
d) Calculate the total distance travelled for the whole 15 seconds movement.

a) Describe the motion of the c) Calculate the deceleration CD

(Final velocity −Initial 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣)
boy a=
Time taken
OA = Acceleration
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢)
AB = Constant Velocity aCD =
𝑡𝑡
(0 −3.5) + + +
BC = Acceleration aCD =
15 −9
CD = Deceleration aCD = - 0.583 m s−2
Total distance = area under graph

b) Calculate the acceleration, d) Calculate the total 1 2+3.5 1

(Final velocity −Initial 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣) =[ x4 x 2] + [3 x 2] + [ x 2] +[ x 6 x 3.5]
a= Total distance = area under graph 2 2 2
Time taken
Divide the area into easier
= 4 + 4 + 5.5 + 10.5
aOA =
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢)
aBC =
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢) shapes
𝑡𝑡 𝑡𝑡 = 26m
(2 −0) (3.5 −2)
aOA = aBC =
4 −0 9 −7

aOA = 0.5 m s−2 aBC = 0.75 m s −2

The graph shows the speed of a bus changes during part of a journey. Choose the correct words from the following list to describe
the motion during each segment of the journey to fill in the table below.
√ Accelerating √ decelerating
√ constant speed √ at rest

Segment The bus is ______________________________. Its speed

0-A changes from 0 to 10 m/s in 5 seconds.

Segment The bus is moving at a

A-B __________________________________of
10 m/s for 5 seconds
Segment The bus is ____________________________________. It is
B-C slowing down from 10 m/s to rest in 3 seconds.

Segment The bus is

C-D ____________________________________________. It has
stopped.

Segment The bus is

D-E ______________________________________________.
It is gradually increasing in speed.
From the graph above,
i. Calculate the acceleration for the first 5 seconds
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢) (10 −0)
a= =
𝑡𝑡 5
−2
a=2ms iii. Average velocity of the bus.

Total distance,s
v = Total Time taken,𝑡𝑡
ii. Find the total distance travelled by the bus. 122.5 m
Total distance = area under graph =
25 𝑠𝑠
= 4.9 𝐦𝐦 𝒔𝒔−𝟏𝟏

1 1 1
s = [ x10 x 5] + [5 x 10] +[ x 10 x 3] +[ x 5 x 5] + [5 x 4]
2 2 2

s = 25 + 50 + 15 + 12.5 + 20
s = 122.5 m
A car moved from 4 m/s to 25 m/s with constant acceleration of 2 m/s². This condition
continued until the car was stopped with deceleration of 2 m/s². Sum of distance traveled
by the car is 5 km. Calculate:
a) distance during the acceleration
b) distance traveled during deceleration
c) total time traveled by the car
a) Distance during the acceleration
(Final velocity −Initial 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣)
a=
Time taken
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢)
a=
𝑡𝑡
(25 −4)
2=
𝑡𝑡
(25 −4)
t= = 10.5 s
2

Distance = area under the graph

1
=[( x10.5 x(25-4)] + [4 x 10.5]
2
1
=[( x10.5 x21)] + [42]
2
= 110.25 + 42
= 152.25 m
b) Distance traveled during deceleration c) Total time traveled by the car
(Final velocity −Initial 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣)
a=
Time taken
Distance = area under the graph
a=
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢) 5000 = distance 1 + distance 2 + distance 3
𝑡𝑡
(0 −25) 5000 = 152.25 + 25 (t2) + 156.25
-2= 5000 = 308.5 + 25t2
𝑡𝑡
t=
(−25) 25t2 = 5000 – 308.5
−2 (5000 −308.5)
= 12.5 s t2 =
25
t2 = 187.66 s
Distance = area under the graph
1 Total time = t1 + t2 + t3
= x 12.5 x 25
2
= 156.25 m = 10.5 + 187.66 + 12.5
= 210.66 s
A figure below shows a velocity – time graph of an object for a period of 7 seconds;
(a) Calculate the acceleration of the object for the first 2s
(b) What is the displacement of the object for the first 6s
(c) What is the displacement of the object for the whole journey
(d) What is the average velocity of the object for the whole journey.
a) Acceleration c) Displacement whole journey
a=
(Final velocity −Initial 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣) Distance = area under the graph
Time taken 1
(𝑣𝑣−𝑢𝑢) = 16 + [ x 1 x -4]
a= 2
𝑡𝑡
(4 −0) = 16 - 2
= = 14 m
2
(4)
a=
2
−𝟐𝟐
= 2.5 𝐦𝐦 𝒔𝒔

b) Displacement d) Average speed

Distance = area under the graph Vav =
𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
1 1 Total Time taken
=[ x (4+3) x 4] + [ x 1 x 4] 14
2 2 Vav =
7
= 14 + 2
= 2 𝐦𝐦 𝒔𝒔−𝟐𝟐
= 16 m