Week 3: Two-Dimensional Kinematics
Most instances of motion in everyday life involve changes in displacement and velocity that occur in more than one direction. For example, when you take a long road trip, you drive on different roads in different directions for different amounts of time at different speeds. How can these motions all be combined to determine information about the trip such as the total displacement and average velocity? If you kick a ball from ground level at some angle above the horizontal, how can you describe its motion? To what maximum height does the object rise above the ground? How long is the object in the air? How much horizontal distance is covered before the ball lands? To answer questions such as these, we need to describe motion in two dimensions.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the independence of horizontal and vertical vectors in two-dimensional motion.
- Apply analytical methods to determine vertical and horizontal component vectors.
- Identify and explain the properties of a projectile, such as acceleration due to gravity, range, maximum height, and trajectory.
- Determine the location and velocity of a projectile at different points in its trajectory.
- Apply the principle of independence of motion to solve projectile motion problems.
To-Do List:
- Review all assigned readings and videos
- Participate in the discussion
- Problem set 3
- Quiz 3
- Exam 1
Sources:
Photo credit: Margaret W. Carruthers. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-ap-courses/pages/1-connection-for-ap-r-courses