One-Dimensional Kinematics
editMany kinematics problems are given to students in high school and college physics courses which involve the five following measurable quantities of a body in motion:
- - acceleration (most often assumed to be constant)
- - time elapsed
- - final velocity (this variable may also be represented by just )
- - initial velocity (this variable may also be represented by or )
- - distance traveled (this variable may also be represented by or )
If one knows any three of the above quantities for a given situation, then one may solve for any of the other two. The equations below demonstrate this property.
Solving for (constant) acceleration
editTime is unknown
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Final velocity is unknown
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Initial velocity is unknown
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Distance is unknown
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Solving for time
editAcceleration is unknown (but constant)
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Final velocity is unknown
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Initial velocity is unknown
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Distance is unknown
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Solving for final velocity
editAcceleration is unknown (but constant)
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Time is unknown
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Initial velocity is unknown
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Distance is unknown
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Solving for initial velocity
editAcceleration is unknown (but constant)
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Time is unknown
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Final velocity is unknown
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Distance is unknown
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Solving for distance
editAcceleration is unknown (but constant)
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Time is unknown
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Final velocity is unknown
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Initial velocity is unknown
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