Deriving Kinematic Equations of Motion
- The kinematic equations of motion are a set of four equations which can describe any object moving with constant acceleration
- They relate the five variables:
- s = displacement
- u = initial velocity
- v = final velocity
- a = acceleration
- t = time interval
- It’s important to know where these equations come from and how they are derived:
A graph showing how the velocity of an object varies with time
The average velocity is halfway between u and v
The two terms ut and ½at2 make up the area under the graph
This final equation can be derived from two of the others
Summary of the four equations of uniformly accelerated motion
