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Lära Simulating Uniform Motion | Kinematics and Motion
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bookSimulating Uniform Motion

Uniform motion describes the movement of an object at a constant velocity, meaning both the speed and direction remain unchanged as time progresses. This type of motion is common in everyday life: a train gliding along a straight track at steady speed, or a conveyor belt moving products at a fixed rate. In physics, the equations of uniform motion provide a straightforward way to predict an object's position at any given time.

The most fundamental equation for uniform motion is:

Position equation:
s = s0 + v * t

where:

  • s is the position at time t;
  • s0 is the initial position;
  • v is the constant velocity;
  • t is time elapsed.

This equation allows you to calculate where an object will be after a certain period, given its starting point and constant velocity. In computational simulations, you use this relationship to update the position of an object step by step, mimicking how it would move in the real world. By applying this formula repeatedly at small intervals of time, you can build up a list of positions that describe the object's motion.

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def simulate_uniform_motion(s0, v, total_time, time_step): """ Simulate the position of an object moving at constant velocity. Args: s0 (float): Initial position. v (float): Constant velocity. total_time (float): Total time to simulate. time_step (float): Time interval between position updates. Returns: list: Positions of the object at each time step. """ positions = [] t = 0.0 while t <= total_time: s = s0 + v * t positions.append(s) t += time_step return positions
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The simulation function above models uniform motion by using a while loop to step through time from zero up to the total simulation time. At each iteration, it calculates the current position using the uniform motion equation and appends this value to a list. The time_step variable determines how frequently the position is updated—smaller time steps provide more detailed results, while larger steps are faster but less precise. This approach lets you see how the object's position changes over time, closely matching the continuous motion you would observe in reality.

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import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Simulation parameters initial_position = 0.0 # meters velocity = 2.0 # meters per second total_time = 10.0 # seconds time_step = 0.5 # seconds # Simulate positions positions = simulate_uniform_motion(initial_position, velocity, total_time, time_step) times = [i * time_step for i in range(len(positions))] # Plotting the results plt.figure(figsize=(8, 4)) plt.plot(times, positions, marker='o') plt.title("Uniform Motion: Position vs. Time") plt.xlabel("Time (s)") plt.ylabel("Position (m)") plt.grid(True) plt.show()
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1. What does a straight line on a position vs. time graph indicate about an object's motion?

2. How does changing the time step in the simulation affect the accuracy of the results?

question mark

What does a straight line on a position vs. time graph indicate about an object's motion?

Select the correct answer

question mark

How does changing the time step in the simulation affect the accuracy of the results?

Select the correct answer

Var allt tydligt?

Hur kan vi förbättra det?

Tack för dina kommentarer!

Avsnitt 1. Kapitel 2

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bookSimulating Uniform Motion

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Uniform motion describes the movement of an object at a constant velocity, meaning both the speed and direction remain unchanged as time progresses. This type of motion is common in everyday life: a train gliding along a straight track at steady speed, or a conveyor belt moving products at a fixed rate. In physics, the equations of uniform motion provide a straightforward way to predict an object's position at any given time.

The most fundamental equation for uniform motion is:

Position equation:
s = s0 + v * t

where:

  • s is the position at time t;
  • s0 is the initial position;
  • v is the constant velocity;
  • t is time elapsed.

This equation allows you to calculate where an object will be after a certain period, given its starting point and constant velocity. In computational simulations, you use this relationship to update the position of an object step by step, mimicking how it would move in the real world. By applying this formula repeatedly at small intervals of time, you can build up a list of positions that describe the object's motion.

1234567891011121314151617181920
def simulate_uniform_motion(s0, v, total_time, time_step): """ Simulate the position of an object moving at constant velocity. Args: s0 (float): Initial position. v (float): Constant velocity. total_time (float): Total time to simulate. time_step (float): Time interval between position updates. Returns: list: Positions of the object at each time step. """ positions = [] t = 0.0 while t <= total_time: s = s0 + v * t positions.append(s) t += time_step return positions
copy

The simulation function above models uniform motion by using a while loop to step through time from zero up to the total simulation time. At each iteration, it calculates the current position using the uniform motion equation and appends this value to a list. The time_step variable determines how frequently the position is updated—smaller time steps provide more detailed results, while larger steps are faster but less precise. This approach lets you see how the object's position changes over time, closely matching the continuous motion you would observe in reality.

1234567891011121314151617181920
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Simulation parameters initial_position = 0.0 # meters velocity = 2.0 # meters per second total_time = 10.0 # seconds time_step = 0.5 # seconds # Simulate positions positions = simulate_uniform_motion(initial_position, velocity, total_time, time_step) times = [i * time_step for i in range(len(positions))] # Plotting the results plt.figure(figsize=(8, 4)) plt.plot(times, positions, marker='o') plt.title("Uniform Motion: Position vs. Time") plt.xlabel("Time (s)") plt.ylabel("Position (m)") plt.grid(True) plt.show()
copy

1. What does a straight line on a position vs. time graph indicate about an object's motion?

2. How does changing the time step in the simulation affect the accuracy of the results?

question mark

What does a straight line on a position vs. time graph indicate about an object's motion?

Select the correct answer

question mark

How does changing the time step in the simulation affect the accuracy of the results?

Select the correct answer

Var allt tydligt?

Hur kan vi förbättra det?

Tack för dina kommentarer!

Avsnitt 1. Kapitel 2
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