Kinematics: Constant Acceleration - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering rate of change of velocity, constant-acceleration kinematics equations, key symbols, UAM variables and equations, and displacement/velocity relationships.

Rate of change of velocity

Acceleration; the change in velocity per unit time (units: m/s²).

Average acceleration

The average rate of change of velocity over a time interval: Δv/Δt (units: m/s²).

Constant acceleration

An acceleration that remains the same over time; required for the standard kinematic equations to apply.

Kinematic equations (constant acceleration)

A set of equations relating displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time when acceleration a is constant.

First kinematic equation (v = v0 + a t)

Final velocity after time t given initial velocity v0 and constant acceleration a; does not include displacement.

Second kinematic equation (Δx = v0 t + 1/2 a t^2)

Displacement under constant acceleration given initial velocity, time, and acceleration.

Third kinematic equation (v² = v0² + 2 a Δx)

Relation between final velocity, initial velocity, acceleration, and displacement without time.

Fourth kinematic equation (Δx = 1/2 (v0 + v) t)

Displacement equals the average of initial and final velocity times the time interval.

Initial velocity (v0 or v_i)

Velocity at the start of the interval (t = 0).

Final velocity (v_f)

Velocity at the end of the interval.

Final velocity formula (vf = vi + a t)

Alternate form of the first equation using initial velocity v_i and time t.

Velocity-squared relation (vf² = vi² + 2 a Δx)

Relates final velocity, initial velocity, acceleration, and displacement without time.

UAM variables

Five variables in uniformly accelerated motion: vf, vi, a, t, Δx.

UAM equations count

There are four UAM equations for five variables.

Displacement (Δx)

Change in position; a vector quantity with direction.

Displacement vs. average velocity

Δx/Δt is the average velocity; for constant acceleration, this equals (vi + vf)/2.

Average velocity (v_avg)

Displacement per unit time; for uniformly accelerated motion, vavg = (vi + v_f)/2.

Acceleration (a)

Rate of change of velocity; a = Δv/Δt; units m/s².

Time interval (Δt)

Duration over which motion occurs.