Velocity and displacement and distance

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of velocity, displacement, and distance in the context of a given motion described by a quadratic function. Participants explore the mathematical relationships between these quantities over a specified time interval.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning, Technical explanation, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Post 1 presents the displacement function \(s(t) = -t^2 + 5t - 4\) and the velocity function \(v(t) = -2t + 5\), asking for a graph of the velocity and the determination of motion direction.
  • Post 2 questions whether the displacement is simply the value of the function \(s\) at \(t = 5\) and suggests that the distance traveled can be evaluated as the area under the velocity graph.
  • Post 3 corrects the velocity function to \(v(t) = -t^2 + 5t - 4\) and provides integrals for calculating displacement and distance traveled, expressing uncertainty about the results.
  • Post 4 agrees with the displacement calculation and acknowledges the correctness of the distance result, while suggesting a different approach to simplify the distance calculation using symmetry in the velocity function.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express some agreement on the displacement calculation, but there is disagreement regarding the correct formulation of the distance traveled and the use of absolute values in integrals. The discussion remains unresolved on the best approach to calculate distance.

Contextual Notes

Some participants' calculations depend on the interpretation of the velocity function and the application of integrals, which may involve assumptions about the behavior of the function over the interval.

karush
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Assume $t$ is time measured in seconds and velocities have units of $m/s$

$$s\left(t\right)=-{t}^{2}+5t-4 \ \ \ 0\le t \le 5 $$

$$v\left(t\right)=-2t+5$$

a. Graph the velocity function over the given interval. Then determine when the motion is in the positive direction and when it is the negative direction.

[desmos="0,5,-5,5"]y=-2t+5;[/desmos]

b. Find the displacement over the given interval. ?

c. Find the distance traveled over the given interval. ?
 
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karush said:
Assume $t$ is time measured in seconds and velocities have units of $m/s$

$$s\left(t\right)=-{t}^{2}+5t-4 \ \ \ 0\le t \le 5 $$

$$v\left(t\right)=-2t+5$$

a. Graph the velocity function over the given interval. Then determine when the motion is in the positive direction and when it is the negative direction.

b. Find the displacement over the given interval. ?

c. Find the distance traveled over the given interval. ?

Isn't s your displacement function? So wouldn't the displacement over that interval be just your s function as written? Or if you want the displacement at t = 5 you'd be finding s(5) ?

As for the distance travelled, the distance is the area under the velocity graph in that interval. How would you evaluate that?
 
Sorry looks like the equation was given as velocity

$$v\left(t\right)=-{t}^{2 }+5t-4$$

So then displacement is

$$\int_{0}^{5}v(t) \,dt = \frac{5}{6}$$

And distance traveled would be

$$\int_{0}^{ 1}\left| v\left(t\right) \right| \,dt
+\int_{1}^{4} v\left(t\right) \,dt
+ \int_{4}^{5}\left| v\left(t\right) \right| \,dt =\frac{49}{6} $$

I hope anyway..
 
Your displacement is correct, and the end result of your distance is correct (but your integral expression, while technically correct should not have any absolute values), but for the distance $D$, we can simplify matters a bit and use the symmetry of the velocity function about the line $t=\dfrac{5}{2}$ to write:

$$D(5)=2\left(\int_0^1t^2-5t+4\,dt-\int_1^{\frac{5}{2}}t^2-5t+4\,dt\right)=2\left(\frac{11}{6}+\frac{9}{4}\right)=\frac{49}{6}$$
 

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