Concept preview

What you will be able to do

1. 01State the four equations of uniformly accelerated motion
2. 02Choose the right equation from the variables given and unknown
3. 03Solve multi-step kinematics problems with correct signs

Last lesson we handled changing velocity with graphs. Now we turn that into algebra. The key condition is constant (uniform) acceleration — the velocity changing at a steady rate, which on a v–t graph is a straight sloped line. That single condition covers an enormous slice of real physics: a car braking evenly, a ball in free fall, a plane accelerating down a runway. For any of these, four tidy equations crack every question you can ask — and I'll give you a trick so you never agonise over which one to use.