Acceleration and Velocity Problem

In summary, the problem involves finding the position of an object given its acceleration, initial velocity, and position at a specific time. To solve this, one must integrate the acceleration and use the initial conditions to determine a specific solution for velocity and position. The constant term in the solutions represents the initial velocity, which is provided in the problem.
  • #1
DeadxBunny
30
0
Could someone please explain to me how to do the following problem?:

The acceleration of an object is given by a(t) = (-6t, 12t-32, 0). If the initial velocity is v(0) = (1,0,1) and the position at t=1 is known to be r(1) = (2,0,1), find r(t).

I know that to find velocity when given acceleration, I should integrate acceleration and to find r(t) I should integrate whatever equations I get for velocity. But, how do I use the v(0) = (1,0,1) and r(1) = (2,0,1) stuff?
 
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  • #2
Those are your inital conditions...remember that when you integrate the a(t) function, the most general antiderivative will be the answer you get plus an arbitrary constant C (because the C disappears when you differentiate v(t) again to get a(t)). What this means is that you have an infinite number of solutions for v(t) Physically, the C represents your initial velocity in this case. Can you see that no matter what your initial velocity is, the rate of change will be the same...so any number of v(t) functions each with a different constant term representing the initial velocity will satisfy the equation (they all have the same accelaration..their velocities all change by the same amount over a specified time interval regardless of what they were to start with). Fortunately the initial velocity is conveniently provided for you in the problem so that you can determine a specific solution for v(t). Same thing goes for when you integrate v(t) to get r(t).
 
  • #3
Ok I think I got it now. Thank you so much! :smile:
 

1. What is the difference between acceleration and velocity?

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time, while velocity is the rate of change of position over time. In simpler terms, acceleration measures how quickly an object's speed is changing, while velocity measures how fast an object is moving and in what direction.

2. How are acceleration and velocity related?

Acceleration and velocity are related through the equation a = Δv/Δt, where a is acceleration, Δv is the change in velocity, and Δt is the change in time. This means that acceleration is directly proportional to the change in velocity, and inversely proportional to the change in time.

3. What is the difference between positive and negative acceleration?

Positive acceleration occurs when the velocity of an object is increasing, while negative acceleration (also known as deceleration or acceleration in the opposite direction) occurs when the velocity of an object is decreasing. This can also be thought of as acceleration in the direction of motion or acceleration in the opposite direction of motion.

4. How is acceleration measured?

Acceleration is typically measured in meters per second squared (m/s²) in the SI system. This means that for every second an object is accelerating, its velocity will increase by that amount. Other common units for acceleration include feet per second squared (ft/s²) and kilometers per hour squared (km/h²).

5. How can acceleration and velocity be used to solve problems?

Acceleration and velocity can be used to solve a variety of problems, such as calculating the final velocity of an object given its initial velocity, acceleration, and time, or determining the distance an object travels during a certain amount of time. These concepts are also essential in understanding and predicting the motion of objects in physics and engineering.

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