Uniform Acceleration and Equations of Uniform Linear Motion

Grade 10 · Physics

Semester 1 | Period 2 | Week 8

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Subject: Physics

Semester: 1

Period: 2

Week: 8

School Name:

Teacher’s Name:

Subject: Physics

Grade Level: Grade 10

Week & Period: Week 8, Period II

Date:

Sub-topic: Uniform Acceleration and Equations of Uniform Linear Motion

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

  1. Define uniform acceleration.
  2. Derive and apply the equations of motion.
  3. Solve numerical problems involving uniformly accelerated motion.
  4. Describe practical scenarios of uniform acceleration.

Instructional Materials:

  • Chart of equations of motion
  • Graph board, graph sheets
  • Stopwatches, toy car, smooth ramp or inclined plane
  • Ruler, chalk, markers

Anticipation (Warm-Up):
Ask learners:

  • “What happens to your speed if you roll down a slope?”
  • “How do cars speed up or slow down at traffic lights?”

Building Knowledge:

  1. Uniform Acceleration:
    • Occurs when velocity changes by equal amounts in equal intervals of time.
  2. Equations of Motion:
    For constant acceleration (a), initial velocity (u), final velocity (v), time (t), and displacement (s):
    • v = u + at
    • s = ut + ½at²
    • v² = u² + 2as

Example 1:
A car starts from rest (u = 0), accelerates at 2 m/s² for 5 seconds.
Find:
a. Final velocity
b. Distance covered
Solution:
a. v = u + at = 0 + (2 × 5) = 10 m/s
b. s = ut + ½at² = 0 + ½ × 2 × 5² = 25 m

Example 2:
A vehicle traveling at 20 m/s is brought to rest in 4 seconds.
Find:
a. Acceleration
b. Distance covered
Solution:
a = (v - u)/t = (0 - 20)/4 = -5 m/s²
s = ut + ½at² = 20×4 + ½×(-5)×4² = 80 - 40 = 40 m

Activities:

  • Roll a toy car down a ramp, record time intervals over fixed distances
  • Use data to calculate acceleration and plot s–t graphs
  • Group learners to solve motion problems using all three equations

Assessment:
Oral:

  1. What is uniform acceleration?
  2. Name one equation of motion and explain its symbols.

Written:

  1. A body accelerates from rest at 3 m/s² for 6 seconds. Find its final velocity and displacement.
  2. A car traveling at 25 m/s stops in 5 seconds. Find the deceleration and distance covered.

Homework:

  1. Derive the equation v² = u² + 2as from the other two equations.
  2. Solve: u = 5 m/s, a = 2 m/s², t = 4 s. Find v and s.
  3. State two real-life examples of uniform acceleration.

Expanded Notes:

  • Use positive sign for acceleration (speeding up), negative for deceleration (slowing down).
  • All equations assume constant acceleration only.
  • Useful for analyzing vehicle motion, free fall, or projectile starts.

Differentiation:

  • Visual aids to show motion over time
  • Practical demo for kinesthetic learners
  • Equation derivation support for analytical learners

Teacher’s Reflection:

  • Were learners able to substitute and solve motion equations?
  • Did the ramp experiment clarify the concept?
  • Who needs extra reinforcement in calculation steps?