Physics. Fall 2011. Assignment 1.

Read the following: Hewitt pages 11 to 16.

Try the constant velocity physlet at:

http://www.physicsclub.net/physlets/downLoaded/constvel1.html

Try the constant acceleration physlet at:

http://www.physicsclub.net/physlets/downLoaded/ConstantAcceleratedMotion.html

Now look at the third image (the string of dots). The image represents a red circle accelerating at uniform rate from rest. Print that image and use a ruler to determine the center-to-center distance between each pair of dots. Assume that the distance from the first to the second is 3.0 meters and use proportions to determine the corresponding distance for each other interval. Alternating current is 60 cycles per second in the United States, so a device operating on AC that drives a camera shutter can be easily constructed to capture a new image every 1/60^th of a second, thus that assumption for this image.

This image is located at: http://jitt2011.physicsclub.net/images/jitt/acceleration.gif

In your response, write:

1. A definition for velocity

2. Calculate the velocity of a car that moves 240 km in 4 hr. Express the velocity in: km/hr and m/s. Show some work.

3. A definition for acceleration.

4. A car begins moving from rest. It accelerates at constant rate until, after 10 seconds it is moving 30 m/s. What is its rate of acceleration? Show some work. Don’t forget units.

5. How far does the car described in number 4 travel in 10 seconds? Show some work.

6. What is the velocity for the velocity physlet (constvel1.html)?

7. What is the rate of acceleration for the acceleration physlet (ConstantAcceleratedMotion.html)

8. Use the diagram in the third image to determine the acceleration of the red circle. Show your work.