1. Physics
Motion, Speed, Velocity &
Acceleration

2. Motion 1
 What is motion? How do you know if
something is “in motion?”

3. Motion 2
 Motion is the changing distance
between two objects.
 You can tell if something is “in motion”
based on a reference point.
 Reference point: A place or object used
for comparison to determine if something
is in motion.

4. Motion 3
 Are we moving right now? Yes? No?
 How do you know?
 What is your reference point?
**Technically, we are doing both moving
AND not moving depending on your
reference point!

5. Speed 1
 What is speed?
 How do you know what “speed” you are
going?
 Is speed fast or slow? Or both?

6. Speed 2
 Speed is the amount of distance an
object travels in any given amount of
time.
 We calculate speed like this:
Speed = Distance / Time
Average speed is just:
total distance / total time

7. Velocity 1
 What is velocity?
 Is velocity the same thing as speed?
 How do I know what an objects velocity
is?

8. Velocity 2
 Velocity is speed with direction.
 When dispatch contacts a police officer
to let them know where a suspect
is, they will give them a velocity: “the
perpetrator is on walnut st. traveling at
40mph north.”
 What else do we use velocity to
describe?

9. Velocity 3
 Change in velocity can be due to two
things:
 1. Change in speed
 2. Change in direction
 (it can be one or both)

10. Acceleration 1
 What is acceleration?
 What does it mean to accelerate?
 What is the opposite of accelerate?

11. Acceleration 2
 Acceleration is the rate at which velocity
changes with time.
 If velocity requires both speed and
direction, then acceleration also
requires both speed and direction.
 Therefore… acceleration refers to
increasing speed, decreasing speed or
changing direction!

12. Acceleration 3
 Increasing speed: When an objects
speed increases, it is accelerating.
 Decreasing speed: When an objects
speed decreases, it is deccelerating or
has negative acceleration.
 Changing direction: If the direction
changes so does the acceleration- even
if the speed stays the same!!!

13. Acceleration 4
 Calculating acceleration: you must figure
out the change in velocity per unit time.
Acceleration= Final velocity - Initial Velocity
time
The units used for Acceleration are meters
per second per second or m/s2