Knowledge Points

Comprehensive guides and explanations covering linear motion concepts and principles.

Linear Motion - Free Fall Motion

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Linear motion - Key concepts

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Linear motion - Motion with Constant Acceleration

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Browse Problems

51 problems tagged with linear motion

P0269

Beginner Mechanics › Kinematics

Car Braking and Displacement Time

A car is moving at 5 m/s when the brakes are applied. It undergoes uniform acceleration of 0.4 m/s² in the direction opposite to its initial velocity.

How much time is required for the car to have a displacement of 30 m from the point where braking began?
linear motion

P0279

Intermediate Mechanics › Kinematics

Train Collision Avoidance Kinematics

A high-speed train travels at initial velocity $v_H$. It is a distance $D$ behind a locomotive moving in the same direction at a constant velocity $v_L$, where $v_H > v_L$. The train's engineer immediately applies the brakes, causing a constant deceleration of magnitude $a$.

  1. Find the minimum deceleration magnitude $a$ required to just avoid a collision.
  2. Sketch the position-time, $x(t)$, curves for both vehicles, showing the cases where a collision is just avoided and not quite avoided.
linear motion relative motion

P0281

Intermediate Mechanics › Kinematics

Particle Acceleration from Position-Time Data

A particle moves along an x-axis with constant acceleration $a$. The accompanying figure shows the particle's position $x$ as a function of time $t$. The particle is at position $x_0$ at $t=0$, passes the origin at time $t=T$, and is at position $x_s$ at time $t=2T$. The initial position is related to the final scaled position by $x_0 = -x_s/N$, where $N$ is a positive constant determined by the graph's grid.

  1. What is the magnitude of the particle's acceleration?
  2. What is the direction of the particle's acceleration, assuming $x_s > 0$?
linear motion

P0229

Intermediate Mechanics › Kinematics

Free Fall Analysis from Strobe Photo Data

Table below lists the lengths between adjacent positions of a freely falling small ball, measured from a strobe photograph. The stroboscope flashes once every $T = 1/30$ s. The table below shows the measured displacement $s$ for each interval and the difference in displacement $\Delta s$ between consecutive intervals.

Interval Number Interval Length s (cm) Difference $\Delta s$ (cm)
1 7.70 1.05
2 8.75 1.05
3 9.80 1.05
4 10.85 1.14
5 11.99 1.10
6 13.09 1.09
7 14.18 1.04
8 15.22 1.09
9 16.31 1.14
10 17.45
  1. Can it be determined that the ball's motion is uniformly accelerated?
  2. If it can be determined to be uniformly accelerated motion, find the acceleration of free fall, g, using the average value of $\Delta s$.
linear motion

P0280

Intermediate Mechanics › Kinematics

Final Separation of Two Braking Objects

Two trains are moving along the same track and are headed toward each other. Their conductors simultaneously apply the brakes. The velocity-time graph in Figure shows their velocities $v$ as a function of time $t$ during the slowing process. The vertical scaling of the graph is set by $v_s = 40.0$ m/s. The braking process begins when the trains are 200 m apart.

What is their separation when both trains have stopped?
linear motion relative motion

P0230

Beginner Mechanics › Kinematics

Calculating Well Depth by Dropping a Stone

To measure the depth of a well, a small stone is dropped from the wellhead. The sound of the stone hitting the water is heard 2.5 s after it is dropped. The speed of sound in air is over 300 m/s, so for a well that is not too deep, the time it takes for the sound to travel can be neglected.

Calculate the depth of the well.
linear motion

P0318

Advanced Mechanics › Kinematics

Kinematics of a Bolt in an Accelerating Elevator

An elevator is moving upward with an acceleration of $1.22 \text{ m/s}^2$. At the instant its upward velocity is $2.44 \text{ m/s}$, a bolt detaches and falls from the ceiling. The distance between the elevator's ceiling and floor is $2.74 \text{ m}$.

  1. Calculate the time required for the bolt to fall from the ceiling to the floor.
  2. Determine the displacement and the total distance traveled by the bolt relative to a fixed post outside the elevator during this time.
linear motion

P0310

Advanced Mechanics › Kinematics

Condition for Non-Overtaking Collision of Two Balls

Two identical small balls, A and B, both with mass $m$, are initially at rest. Ball A is a distance $a$ behind ball B. At the same instant, ball A is given an impulse $I$ and ball B is subjected to a constant force $F$. Both the impulse and the force are directed along the line connecting A to B.

Determine the condition for which ball A will not overtake ball B.
linear motion

P0272

Expert Mechanics › Kinematics

Time of Descent for a Particle on a Triangular Path

As shown in the figure, a right-angled triangle ABC is situated in a vertical plane, with side BC being horizontal and side AB being vertical. The angle between the hypotenuse AC and the horizontal side BC is $\alpha$. A point mass starts from rest at point A and travels to point C under the influence of gravity, constrained to move along specified paths.

Path 1 involves the particle moving along the sides AB and then BC. The time taken for the segment AB is $t_1$, and the time for the segment BC is $t_2$. Path 2 involves the particle moving along the hypotenuse AC. The time taken is $t_3$.

It is assumed that the particle turns at corner B instantaneously and that the magnitude of its velocity is conserved during the turn. The paths are smooth, so there is no friction.

  1. Find the value of angle $\alpha$ for which the total time taken for both paths is equal, i.e., $t_1 + t_2 = t_3$.
  2. For the value of $\alpha$ found in Q1, consider all possible paths from A to C within the triangle that consist only of vertical and horizontal segments. Which of these paths takes the most time to travel?
  3. Which of these paths takes the least time?
  4. What is the ratio of the longest possible time to the shortest possible time?
linear motion calculus Incline

P0246

Beginner Mechanics › Kinematics

Multi-Stage Motion Analysis of a Car

A car initially travels at a constant speed of $10$ m/s for $2$ s. It then accelerates for $3$ s at a rate of $1 \text{ m/s}^2$. Finally, it continues at a new constant speed for $4$ s.

  1. Find the speed of the car during the final phase of constant velocity motion.
  2. Draw the velocity-time (v-t) graph for the entire process.
  3. Draw the displacement-time (x-t) graph for the entire process.
linear motion

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