Week 2: Kinematics
Objects are in motion everywhere we look. Everything from a tennis game to a space-probe flyby of the planet Neptune involves motion. The motion of an American kestrel (shown in this image) through the air can be described by the bird’s displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. When it flies in a straight line without any change in direction, its motion is said to be one dimensional.
Questions about motion are interesting in and of themselves: How long will it take for a space probe to get to Mars? Where will a football land if it is thrown at a certain angle? Understanding motion will not only provide answers to these questions, but will be key to understanding more advanced concepts in physics. Our formal study of physics begins with kinematics, which is defined as the study of motion without considering its causes.
Learning Outcomes:
- Calculate displacement and distance given initial position, final position, and the path between the two.
- Assign a coordinate system for a scenario involving one-dimensional motion.
- Calculate velocity and speed given initial position, initial time, final position, and final time.
- Interpret motion using graphical analysis.
- Apply problem-solving steps and strategies to solve problems of one-dimensional kinematics.
- Calculate the position and velocity of objects in free fall.
To-Do List:
- Review all assigned readings and videos
- Participate in the discussion
- Problem set 2
- Quiz 2
Sources:
Vince Maidens, Wikimedia Common. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-ap-courses/pages/1-connection-for-ap-r-courses