Lecture 1: Units & Dimensional Analysis 8/27/2008

Length / Time / Mass]

Speed= length/time
Area= (length) 2
Volume= (length) 3

Metric US system
Length Meter (m) Foot (ft)
Mass Kilogram (Kg) Pound (lb)
Time Seconds (s) Seconds (s)

• 1 inch = 2.54cm
• 1ft = 12in
• 1yd = 3ft = 36in
• 1mi = 5280ft = 1760yd
• 1 Kg = 2.2046lb (only on earth)

Dimensional Analysis
Conversion of Units
Ex #1) Convert 70. Inches into meters
in → m
70in (2.54cm/1in) (1m/100cm) =1.8m

Ex #2) Convert 9.0 yd2 into in2

90 yd2 (36in/1yd) (36in/1yd) =1200in2

Ex #3) 17 m/s → mi/hr

17 m/s (60s/1min) (60min/1hr) (100cm/1m) (1in/2.54cm) (1ft/12in) (1mi/5280ft)

=38mi/hr
Lecture 2: Motion in a Straight Line 9/2/2008
Position ≈ Displacement: (x)
• How far an object has moved relative to a starting point
Speed ≈ Velocity: (v)
• How far an object is moved with prospect to elapsed time

V=x/t

Average Speed

Vav= Distance Traveled / Total Time

= ∆x/∆t
= x final – x initial / t final – t initial

Instantaneous Speed

The speed at an exact moment in time = Speedometer Reading

V inst = Velocity at an exact moment in time.

Ex #1)

x(ft) t(s) v(ft/s)

0.0 0.0
50. 5.0 10.
100 8.0 17
150 10.0 25

a) Find the Vav for the entire TRIP

Vav = ∆x/∆t = 150ft/10.0s =15 ft/s

b) Find the Vav for each 50.ft interval

See Data Table under picture

 Position – Time Graphs
(x - t)

Slope of time = Vav = ∆x/∆t

Vinst = The slope of a line tangent to the curve on a x – t graph

Lecture #3: Rules for Interpreting x-t Graphs

(1) A line of constant speed over an interval of time implies motion with a constant
velocity

(2) A flat line segment represent an object that is stationary (v = 0)

(3) The steeper the slope, the greater the velocity.

(4) A line with negative slope represents an object that is moving backwards
V = negative

(5) Vinst can be found by determination of the slope of a line tangent to the curve at
the point of interest.
(6) Along portions of the graph where the line is curved, the velocity is changing in
some way

Speed Increasing

Speed Decreasing
Acceleration: (a)

• A change in velocity with respect to a change in time.

a = ∆v = v final – v initional
∆t t final – t initional

+ a = speeding up
- a = slowing down (deceleration)

a = ∆v = m/s = m
∆t s s2
Lecture # 4: Velocity – Time Graphs ( v – t )

v–t

(1) a = The slope of a line segment

(2) Constant slope implies motion with a constantly changing velocity = constant a
(3) + slope -> + acceleration
0 slope -> constant velocity
- slope -> - acceleration