SUVAT Equations are equations of motion. They are really helpful to solve problems relating to displacement, time, velocity etc.
SUVAT stands for:
- s = Displacement or Distance (m)
- u = Initial velocity (m/s)
- v = Final Velocity (m/s)
- a = Acceleration (m/s²)
- t = Time (s)
Here are the equations:
- v = u + at
- v² = u² + 2as
- s = ut + ½at²
- s = ½ (u + v) t
- s = vt – ½at
You must remember these equations as you will not be given these in the exam. Also, you need to ensure you use the appropriate equation for the problem.
Example:
A car travels at 10 m/s and then accelerates to a constant velocity of 20 m/s. How much time will it take to travel 100m?
You are given:
u = 10
v = 20
s = 100
We are not given acceleration. Therefore, the only appropriate equation to use is ‘s = ½ (u + v) t)’.
We must rearrange this equation to give ‘t’.
s = ½ (u + v) t
[2s ÷ (u + v)] = t
t = [2(100) ÷ (20 + 10)]
t = [200 ÷ 30]
t = 6.666 ≈ 6.7 seconds
You can easily rearrange the formulas accordingly to solve the questions.