Motion Study Guide
1. What is the unit for velocity? Meters per second, or m/s
2. What is the unit for acceleration? Meters per second squared, or m/s²
3. Define velocity. Velocity is the quickness of motion or action, or the rate of
change of position.
4. Define acceleration. The rate at which velocity changes.
5. On a position versus time graph, what does the slope of the line tell you? On a
position vs. time graph, the slope of the line tells us the velocity of an object.
6. What is the difference between distance and displacement? The difference
between distance and displacement is that displacement is concerned with
direction, whereas distance is only concerned with magnitude.
7. What is the difference between speed and velocity? The difference between
speed and velocity is that speed is concerned only with how fast an object is
moving, whereas velocity is concerned with the change in position. As an example,
someone who runs in place would have zero velocity, because he never changes
position.
8. On a displacement vs. time graph, how would the following be indicated?
a. Increase in velocity A positive (rising) slope
b. Decrease in velocity A negative (decreasing) slope
c. Constant velocity A zero slope (horizontal line)
9. How would you calculate the slope of a line? By determining the difference
between the “rise” and “run” of two points on a line.
10. The fastest airplane is the Lockheed SR-71. If an SR-71 flies 15.0 km west in
15.3 s, what is its average velocity in kilometers per hour?
11. A spaceship accelerates uniformly for 1220 km. How much time is required for
the spaceship to increase speed from 11.1 km/s to 11.7 km/s?
12. A walrus accelerates from 7.0 km/hr to 34.5 km/hr over a distance of 95 m. What
is the magnitude of the walrus's acceleration?
13. A child, starting form rest, sleds down a snow-covered slope in 5.50 s. If the
child's final speed is 14.0 m/s, what is the length of the slope?
14. A skateboarder with an initial velocity of 3.7 m/s slows uniformly at -0.53 m/s2.
How long will it take to stop? What would the displacement be?
15. A ball is hit upward with a speed of 7.5 m/s. How long does the ball take to reach
maximum height?
16. A racehorse uniformly accelerates 7.56 m/s2, reaching its final speed after
running 19.0 m. If the horse starts at rest, what is its final speed?