The motion of a particle along a straight line occurs in three successive stages:
• Stage I: It starts from rest and moves with a constant acceleration a1 for a time t1.
• Stage II: It then continues with the constant velocity attained at the end of Stage I for a further time t2.
• Stage III: Finally, it is brought to rest by a constant retardation a3 applied for a time t3.
Answer the following:
(i) Draw a qualitative velocity–time graph.
(ii) Explain how the slope relates to acceleration in each stage.
(iii) State continuity conditions for velocity and displacement at the transition instants.
(iv) Describe a graphical method to obtain the total displacement.