MOTION PROBLEMS
use -10 m/s2 for the acceleration due to gravity unless otherwise given.
1. A track runner runs a 100-m dash in 12 seconds. What is her average velocity during the run?
2. A driver travels the length of the Mass. Pike (578 km) in a period of 6 hours 45 minutes.
What is her average speed in km/hr?
3. A bullet is shot from a rifle at 720 m/s. How long does it take to hit a target 3.24 km away?
4. The distance from home plate to the pitcher's mound is 60 ft 6 in. If Roger Clemens can
throw a ball at 143 ft/sec (95 mph) how long does hit pitch take to reach the plate?
5. A car changes it velocity from 20 m/s to 40 m/s over a 4 second interval.
a. What is the car’s average velocity during this time?
b. What is the average acceleration of the car?
6. A truck traveling at 10 m/s accelerates at 3 m/s2 for a period of 5 seconds. What is the
velocity at the end of its period of acceleration?
7. To measure the height of SHS, an intelligent physics student decided to drop a baseball off of
the roof. If it took the baseball 2 seconds to hit the ground, how fast was the ball going at
when it hit? (in m/s)
8. An experimental rocket car moves at 900 m/s. After is screams past some onlookers, it travels
another 270 m and explodes. If the onlookers hear the explosion 1.1 seconds after the car
passes them what must the speed of sound be?
Maloney -- Physics
MOTION PROBLEMS
9. If you assume the speed of sound is 240 m/s, how can you estimate the distance away a
lightning strike is during a storm?
10. Steve is cruising on his blades at 4 m/s. He starts accelerating at 0.5 m/s2. After he has skated
for 4 seconds, he slows down at a rate of 1 m/s2 for 1.5 sec. How fast is he going at the end?
11. If you are driving 30 m/s down the street, what acceleration is needed to stop in 4 seconds?
12. You are traveling at 80 mph in a 45 mph zone. You see a cop ahead, step on the brakes and
slow down at a rate of 8 mph/s. If you pass the cop 2.5 seconds later, do you get a ticket?
13. A driver travels the length of the Mass. Pike (150 miles total). She travels the first 100 miles
going 60 mph. She hits traffic and slows down to 40 mph for the next 40 minutes. She takes
a 30 minute break for lunch, and then finishes the trip going 75 mph. What was her average
velocity over the entire trip.
14. How high will a ball rise straight up into the air if upon leaving your hand, it is traveling at 14
m/s? How long will the ball be in the air? How fast will it be going after 1 second?
15. A jet starting from rest at the end of a runway accelerates at 10.0 m/s2 for a distance of 100 m
before taking off. What is its velocity upon take off?
16. A car is driving at 40 m/s. Its breaks can apply an acceleration of 8 m/s/s while stopping.
a. How long does it take this car to come to a complete stop?
b. What is its average velocity while stopping?
c. How far did it travel while stopping?
Maloney -- Physics
