VELOCITY EQUATIONS HERE Intro to Motion + Speed and Velocity,
Section 2

Reference Point

chosen to make measurement convenient

ex. starting line for race

location compared to another

Distance and Location

standard units to determine distance

standard points to reference other points = reference points

ref. point on number line = 0, standard unit = meter

Displacement

change in position from reference point

distance = how far an object travels (measurement w/ no direction0 and displacement is how far an object is from where it started (change in position that includes direction)

distance can have a positive value, at the same time that displacement can be zero

Speed

Velocity

Speed Formula

Average speed includes the total distance and total time

Instantaneous speed = distance and time at a specific moment

Two measurements are needed to determine speed- distance and time

Speed = distance traveled during specific unit of time

Two measures are needed to determine velocity- displacement and time

displacement includes direction, so velocity also includes a direction (speed with direction)

velocity = displacement of an object during a specific unit of time

velocity can be an average velocity or an instantaneous velocity

Meters divided by seconds gives a unit of meters per second, m/s for speed

other units for speed can be used (km/h or mph...)

speed = distance travelled per unit of time or distance divided by time distance can be measured in meters, time in seconds

Velocity Formula

Delta x (Δx) is the symbol used for displacement

Delta (Δ) means "change in'. ad Δx means in "change in position"

Velocity is displacement per unit of time or displacement divided by time

Δx is calculated by final position minus initial positition

units for velocity are the same as for speed: m/s, km/h, mph

Time

v = Δx/t rearrange to use t = Δx/v or t = d/s

time or t is unknown

when speed or velocity and distance or displacement are known, time can be found

on graph, time is always on x axis

Instantaneous and Average Velocity

Average velocity will be different from any of the slopes of the lines on the graph any point on line will give an instantaneous velocity only)

slope of a line changes when the speed or velocity of an object changes (steeper the slope, greater the speed/velocity

Direction Changes

A direction change = represented when line on graph changes from positive slope to negative or vice versa

negative slope indicates object moving through origin, positive indicates object moving away from origin