Advanced Placement Physics #1
Summer Assignment
Kinematics Lab
Purpose: Kinematics is the study of motion. The key concepts are distance, displacement, position, time, speed,
velocity and acceleration. This lab focuses on all of these concepts except acceleration.
Distance is the measurement of how far an object has moved. It does not account for the direction of travel in any
way. For example, when you run one complete lap around a track you have a traveled a total distance of 400 m.
Displacement is the change in the position of an object. This is measured in a straight line and would include the
direction as well. In the above example, your displacement around the track is 0 m because you began and ended at
the same location.
Average Speed is the change in distance divided by the time. If you ran 400 m in 100 s, your speed is 4 m/s.
Average Velocity is the displacement divided by the time. Your velocity on the track is 0 m/s, since displac ement
was zero.
Instantaneous speed or instantaneous velocity is the speed at a particular moment of time. This is what the police
officer measures with his radar gun.
Equipment:
Watch with second hand or digital with second counter or stopwatch.
Automobile
Map of where you are driving with a key showing scale.
Procedure:
1. Acquire a map of your neighborhood and surrounding area. Use MapQuest or other web site to get this.
You will need a map with enough detail to show all surface streets.
2. Plan a driving route. The driving distance should be at least 5 miles. It should have at least 5 stop signs on
the route
3. Have your parent drive the route.
4. Record the starting time on the watch.
5. Record the mileage of the car at the starting point.
6. Approximately halfway to the stop sign, record the speedometer speed.
7. As you come to a stop sign, record the time on the watch and the mileage.
8. Mark your location on the map.
9. Keep driving to the next stop sign and repeat the measurements.
10. Repeat until you have driven your whole route.
11. Significant Figures – You need to measure the time to the second. Minutes are not precise enough. You
need to measure the mileage to the tenth of a mile. Use the trip odometer to measure this.
Position
Start
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
Time on watch
(s)
Odometer
Mileage (miles)
Speed halfway
(miles per hour)
n/a
Calculations
1. Calculate the total distance you traveled to each stop sign from your starting point and the distance from the
previous stop sign.
Position
Start
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
2.
Total Distance (miles)
0
Calculate the time to travel to each stop sign from your staring point and from the previous stop sign.
Position
Start
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
3.
Total Time
0
Position
Start
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
Time from previous stop
0
Calculate the average speed of your travel for each segment and the whole trip. The average speed of a
segment is the distance between stops divided by the time traveled on that segment. The average speed of
the whole trip is the distance traveled from start to finish divided by the total time.
Position
Start
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
Total Trip
4.
Distance from previous stop (miles)
0
Speed
Using your map, measure the magnitude of your displacement from the starting point to the 1 st stop. Then
measure from the 1st stop to the 2nd stop. Continue with 2nd to 3rd , etc. To do this, use a ruler and the map
scale to determine the distance. You will need to then convert the distance to miles if needed.
Displacement
Measurement (Ruler)
Displacement
Measurement
(Map Scale)
Displacement (miles)
5.
Using your displacement in miles and your recorded time, calculate the magnitude of your average velocity
from start to the 1st stop sign, the 1 st to the 2nd , etc and the average velocity of the total trip.
Position
Start
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
Total Trip
Average Velocity
Questions: Use complete sentences in each answer.
1. How does the average velocity compare to average speed in each segment of your trip and the total.
Cite examples from your data.
2.
Was the speed of your car the same all through the trip? Was it the same as your speed at halfway through
the trip? Cite examples from your data.
3.
Compare the terms instantaneous speed and average speed. Cite examples from your data that illustrate
this.
4.
What is the difference between speed and velocity?
5.
What is the difference between distance and displacement? Were your distances the same as your
displacements? Cite a situation where distance and displacement are the same?
If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Knutson at [email protected]