How DO OBJECTS

Move
Exploring Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration
How DO OBJECTS
Move
Understanding the concept of speed, velocity and
acceleration is essential in explaining the motion
of an object.

While speed, velocity and acceleration are

commonly used in everyday language, they have
important differences when used in physics.
 Distance and Displacement

Distance refers to the total Displacement refers to the

path length traveled change in position of a body
between two points. It is a relative to some reference
scalar quantity that has point. It is a vector quantity
magnitude but with no that has both magnitude and
direction. direction.
In Figure 4.1A, a girl walks 3.5 m away from a lamp
post. The total distance traveled by the girl is 3.5 m
and the total displacement is 3.5 m to the east.

In Figure 4.1B, the girl returns and moves 2.0 m to

the west. The total distance traveled is now 5.5 m
which is the sum of 3.5 m and 2.0 m. The total
displacement is 1.5 m east which is the vector sum
of 3.5 m east and 2.0 west. This is the shortest
straight-line distance between two points
 What is Speed?
Walking is a common activity in our daily
lives. If we describe how fast or how slow
one is walking, we are talking about
speed. Speed is the rate of motion.
When an object is in motion, the average
speed is the total distance an object
travels divided by the time it takes to
travel that distance
What is Speed?
 Speed and velocity
The instantaneous speed tells how fast the car
is moving at a given instant. The speedometer
is a device that measures instantaneous
speed (Figure 4.2). The instantaneous speed is
determined by computing the average speed
for a very short time interval in which the
speed does not change significantly.
An object moving at a constant speed in a
single direction shows uniform motion.
 Speed and velocity
Speed is often used interchangeably with velocity.
In physics, there is a difference between the two
terms. The difference has something to do with
direction. Velocity refers to the speed of an object
in a particular direction.
The instantaneous speed at a given instant in time
and having a direction corresponding to that of an
object's motion at that instant is the
instantaneous velocity. The average velocity is the
change in displacement divided by the time
Speed and velocity
Speed and velocity
Speed and velocity
 What is Acceleration?
Acceleration actually refers to the change in
velocity of a moving object per unit of time.
If you are driving a car and you The change in velocity can be achieved in
step in the gas pedal, the car three ways:
speeds up. We normally asociare a. by increasing its speed while traveling in
this with acceleration. Acceleration a straight line
does not only refer to speeding up b. by decreasing its speed while traveling in
but also to slowing down a straight line; and
c. by changing its direction even while
traveling at a constant speed.

Acceleration is a measure of how quickly the

speed or velocity of an object changes.
What is Acceleration?
 What is Acceleration?

Negative acceleration is known

as deceleration. Since the
velocity is increasing or
decreasing uniformly with time,
we can express the average
velocity as the arithmetic
average of the initial and final
velocity.
Acceleration is a measure of how quickly the speed or velocity of an object changes.
What is Acceleration?
What is Acceleration?
 Graphing Motion
Graphs are important and useful tools for physics. A graph provides
a more efficient information than words. If the graph
is interpreted correctly, a great deal of information can
be extracted quickly.

Position-Time
The motion of an object can be described by plotting the distance
Graph
moved by the object against the time it moved. The position-time
graph can tell a lot about motion. If an object is at rest, a straight line
parallel to the time axis is shown on position-time graph. (Figure 4.3A)
- The time is increasing but the distance remains constant.
- Slope is zero
- Speed is zero
 Position-Time
If an object is moving at a constant speed, the graph is a straight line
Graph
which uses the same height on the distance axis for unit on the time
axis. (Figure 4.3B)
-The time is increasing and the distance
is increasing constantly with time
-The slope is constant

A steeper line judicates that a larger distance is covered in a given

time it shows greater speed. (Figure 4.3C)
If an objects changes speed, the graph is curving upward.
(Figure 4.3D)
-The speed is increasing
-The change in speed is constant
-The object is accelerating
Position-Time
Graph
Position-Time
Graph
 Velocity-Time
Graph
Graphs can also be drawn to illustrate how the velocity of an
object changes as time passes by If the object is at rest, a
straight line coincides with the time axis. (Figure 4.54)
If the time is increasing and the displacement is increasing
uniformly with time, the velocity is constant. The graph is a
straight-line parallel to the time axis (Figure 4.58)

-A straight line does not mean that the object is at rest

-The slope is zero
-The object is not accelerating
-The area under the graph is the distance traveled
-The distance traveled is the area of the rectangle
which is 10 m/s x 5s-50 m
 Velocity-Time
Graph
If the object is moving with a constant acceleration, the graph
is a straight diagonal line time which rises the same height on
the velocity axis for each unit on the time axis (Figure 4.5C)

-The velocity is increasing

-The slope is constant and positive.
-The area under the graph is the distance traveled
- The distance traveled is the area of the triangle which is 1/2
(15 m/s x 4 s) - 30 m
If the acceleration is negative, the graph is a straight diagonal
line that drops the same unit on the velocity axis for each unit
on the time axis. (Figure 4.5D)
It's also important to note that the area under the curve in a
velocity-time graph represents the displacement of the
object. This is because the area is calculated by multiplying
the time (x-axis) by the velocity (y-axis),
which gives the displacement.

Similarly, the slope of the line in a velocity-time graph

represents the acceleration of the object. This is because the
slope is calculated by dividing the change in velocity (y-axis)
by the change in time (x-axis), which gives the acceleration.
 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the concepts of distance, displacement, speed, velocity,
and acceleration play a crucial role in our understanding of motion and
how objects move. Through their applications in various fields such
as transportation, sports, engineering, physics, astronomy, and
healthcare, we can see their practical significance in everyday life.
By grasping these concepts and learning how to represent and interpret
them in graphs, we gain valuable insights into the behavior of objects
and can make informed decisions and predictions. Ultimately, the study
of these concepts teaches us the importance of considering both
magnitude and direction in describing motion, and how to analyze and
interpret data to gain a deeper understanding of the physical world
around us.