Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
College Physics

Introduction to One-Dimensional Kinematics

College PhysicsIntroduction to One-Dimensional Kinematics
Figure 2.1 The motion of an American kestrel through the air can be described by the bird’s displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. When it flies in a straight line without any change in direction, its motion is said to be one dimensional. (credit: Vince Maidens, Wikimedia Commons)

Chapter Outline

  • 2.1 Displacement
    • Define position, displacement, distance, and distance traveled.
    • Explain the relationship between position and displacement.
    • Distinguish between displacement and distance traveled.
    • Calculate displacement and distance given initial position, final position, and the path between the two.
  • 2.2 Vectors, Scalars, and Coordinate Systems
    • Define and distinguish between scalar and vector quantities.
    • Assign a coordinate system for a scenario involving one-dimensional motion.
  • 2.3 Time, Velocity, and Speed
    • Explain the relationships between instantaneous velocity, average velocity, instantaneous speed, average speed, displacement, and time.
    • Calculate velocity and speed given initial position, initial time, final position, and final time.
    • Derive a graph of velocity vs. time given a graph of position vs. time.
    • Interpret a graph of velocity vs. time.
  • 2.4 Acceleration
    • Define and distinguish between instantaneous acceleration, average acceleration, and deceleration.
    • Calculate acceleration given initial time, initial velocity, final time, and final velocity.
  • 2.5 Motion Equations for Constant Acceleration in One Dimension
    • Calculate displacement of an object that is not accelerating, given initial position and velocity.
    • Calculate final velocity of an accelerating object, given initial velocity, acceleration, and time.
    • Calculate displacement and final position of an accelerating object, given initial position, initial velocity, time, and acceleration.
  • 2.6 Problem-Solving Basics for One-Dimensional Kinematics
    • Apply problem-solving steps and strategies to solve problems of one-dimensional kinematics.
    • Apply strategies to determine whether or not the result of a problem is reasonable, and if not, determine the cause.
  • 2.7 Falling Objects
    • Describe the effects of gravity on objects in motion.
    • Describe the motion of objects that are in free fall.
    • Calculate the position and velocity of objects in free fall.
  • 2.8 Graphical Analysis of One-Dimensional Motion
    • Describe a straight-line graph in terms of its slope and y-intercept.
    • Determine average velocity or instantaneous velocity from a graph of position vs. time.
    • Determine average or instantaneous acceleration from a graph of velocity vs. time.
    • Derive a graph of velocity vs. time from a graph of position vs. time.
    • Derive a graph of acceleration vs. time from a graph of velocity vs. time.

Introduction to One-Dimensional Kinematics

Objects are in motion everywhere we look. Everything from a tennis game to a space-probe flyby of the planet Neptune involves motion. When you are resting, your heart moves blood through your veins. And even in inanimate objects, there is continuous motion in the vibrations of atoms and molecules. Questions about motion are interesting in and of themselves: How long will it take for a space probe to get to Mars? Where will a football land if it is thrown at a certain angle? But an understanding of motion is also key to understanding other concepts in physics. An understanding of acceleration, for example, is crucial to the study of force.

Our formal study of physics begins with kinematics which is defined as the study of motion without considering its causes. The word “kinematics” comes from a Greek term meaning motion and is related to other English words such as “cinema” (movies) and “kinesiology” (the study of human motion). In one-dimensional kinematics and Two-Dimensional Kinematics we will study only the motion of a football, for example, without worrying about what forces cause or change its motion. Such considerations come in other chapters. In this chapter, we examine the simplest type of motion—namely, motion along a straight line, or one-dimensional motion. In Two-Dimensional Kinematics, we apply concepts developed here to study motion along curved paths (two- and three-dimensional motion); for example, that of a car rounding a curve.

Access multimedia content
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Mar 3, 2022 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.