All Questions
16
questions
20
votes
5
answers
132k
views
How to get distance when acceleration is not constant?
I have a background in calculus but don't really know anything about physics. Forgive me if this is a really basic question.
The equation for distance of an accelerating object with constant ...
- 1,517
12
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Integrating acceleration - wrong choice of bounds in textbooks?
I've noticed in my physics textbook (and in a lot of other popular sources), that the process of integrating non-constant acceleration to get to a velocity formula, the integrating bounds imposed on ...
- 221
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why does acceleration need to be constant if integrating?
My teacher wrote the following:
Constant Acceleration
If acceleration is constant, then:
$$\vec{v}(t) = \int_0^t \vec{a}(t')dt'\ + \vec{v_0}$$
and
$$\vec{x}(t) = \int_0^t \vec{v}(t')dt'\ + \vec{...
- 1,177
3
votes
3
answers
357
views
Calculating displacement from acceleration (intuitively) [closed]
If I say acceleration of car is constant at $4\; \rm m/s^2$.
Then isn’t it that it covers $4\; \rm m$ in $1\; \rm s$ with velocity $4\; \rm m/s$.
Then in $2\; \rm s$, the velocity is $8\; \rm m/s$. ...
- 725
3
votes
3
answers
861
views
How do you find the final velocity when acceleration is changing between two values over some distance? [duplicate]
How do you calculate a final velocity of an object when given its initial velocity and the object is accelerating between an initial and final acceleration over some given distance?
- 287
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Basic question about acceleration [duplicate]
Very basic question.
Please show where I'm wrong in the following reasoning.
The movement of an object in function of time could be described as
$$
x(t) = v t + x_{i}
$$
if velocity is constant.
If ...
- 129
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Integrating an acceleration time graph gives you?
If I have a graph of Acceleration against time. Can I integrate this curve in order to find velocity and displacement?
2
votes
1
answer
204
views
How to use a piecewise acceleration function to get a position function?
This should be a relatively easy problem but I think I am missing something somewhere. This problem consists of a object that is being thrown into the air at
$t = 4s$ at a velocity $v_0$
here is my ...
- 21
1
vote
2
answers
2k
views
Why is there a $\frac{1}{2}$ in the kinematic equation? [duplicate]
In a few of the kinematic equations there is a $2$ or a $0.5$ coefficient. Why is this?
For example the kinematic equation for distance is:
$$\text{previous velocity} * \text{time} + \frac{1}{2} * \...
- 115
0
votes
2
answers
68
views
Motion of free fall [duplicate]
We know that according to law of free falls object, all bodies fall with the same constant acceleration. But in distance formula ($s = \frac12 gt^2$), why the acceleration is just half?
- 25
0
votes
4
answers
262
views
Explain $\Delta x = v_0t + \tfrac{1}{2}gt^2$ please? [duplicate]
$g = \Delta v/t$, so $\Delta v = gt$. $v = v_0 + \Delta v$, so $v = v_0 + gt$. So if $\Delta x = vt$, then $\Delta x$ should be $v_0t + gt$. Why the $\tfrac{1}{2}gt^2$? I'm really confused, so this ...
- 43
0
votes
1
answer
273
views
Can position be derived from acceleration in practice?
We know that acceleration is the derivative of velocity, and velocity is the derivative of position. But does that mean that we can find position from acceleration in practice (as opposed to in theory ...
- 899
0
votes
2
answers
42
views
Intuition of Distance covered when accelerating [duplicate]
When you're moving at $5$ m/s for $1$ second, you have traveled $5$ m.
When you're moving at $5$ m/s (initial velocity) and you accelerate $2$ m/s for $1$ second, you have traveled $5$ m + $1$ m (...
- 163
0
votes
1
answer
95
views
Acceleration Question
I'm really confused how we have a distance formula from acceleration. I understand acceleration is the change of velocity/time, however I don't understand how you can calculate a distance based on a ...
- 71
-1
votes
1
answer
106
views
How to Find Trajectory of Particle?
Let’s say I have a particle, and I know all the forces acting on it at every position. (Let’s say the particle is in an electric/gravitational field to simplify the mathematics involved.) Now, is ...
