$v = 2t$, find $s$ (displacement) at 3 seconds if at $t=0$ body is 2m behind origin.
My teacher said that I cannot use definite integration as we do not know the boundaries for time, so I have to first use indefinite integration and find the value of c. Apparently, I have to do the following steps:
$$ s = \int v \space dt $$ $$ s = \int (2t) \space dt$$ $$ s= {t^2} + c$$
Now, since we are given that initially (at $t=0$), the body is 2m behind origin (the displacement is apparently -2m), we plug in $t=0$ and $s=-2$ into the above equation, getting $c=-2$. Next, I have to plug in $c=-2$ and $t=3$ into the above equation, to find the required answer.
- Just because the body is starting from 2m behind the origin, does that mean the displacement at $t=0$ is -2m? What does that even mean? I'm confused about the difference between position and displacement
- Shouldn't the boundaries be $t=0$ and $t=3$ ? But when I use those as boundaries and try to solve using the definite integral, vs. when I use the indefinite integral method shown above, my answer differs by $c$. What does this mean?
- What does it mean to "find displacement at 3 seconds"?
- What exactly is the difference between asking to "find displacement at 3 seconds" and "find displacement from 0 to 3 seconds"? In the latter I can use definite integration by putting $t=0$ and $t=3$ as the boundaries, and can't do so in the former, so there must be some difference.