Math Is Fun Forum

tulip007

Member

Registered: 2008-04-30

Posts: 10

velocity and acceleration

A particle P moves a long a straight line so that its distance x from the origin is given by the formula
x = 2t^3 - 9t/62 + 12t'
Find the velocity v and acceleration a of P at anty time t.  Show that v = 0 when t = 1 and t =2.

Daniel123

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 663

Re: velocity and acceleration

Are you aware that velocity is the derivative of displacement with respect to time, and acceleration is the derivative of velocity with respect to time?

Last edited by Daniel123 (2008-07-17 10:27:31)

John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Re: velocity and acceleration

You might need a picture or an angle and location at t = k,
otherwise you might just be getting a right-angle component
vector like x or y for your answer, or you might be getting
the distance and velocity and acceleration from the origin, but
not the actual numbers.  Am I making any sense?

---

igloo myrtilles fourmis

Daniel123

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 663

Re: velocity and acceleration

You might need a picture or an angle and location at t = k,
otherwise you might just be getting a right-angle component
vector like x or y for your answer, or you might be getting
the distance and velocity and acceleration from the origin, but
not the actual numbers.  Am I making any sense?

Velocity from the origin? Differentiating gives the instantaneous velocity, acceleration etc. Also, the particle is moving in a straight line, so you only need to treat it as moving along one axis. To find the velocity, just differentiate with respect to time (and then substitute t=1 and t=2).

Last edited by Daniel123 (2008-07-17 10:57:54)