Solving a word problem to find average velocity and speed of an object in one-dimension.
In this unit you will apply your understanding of the components of motion in one dimension using linear equations. This will help you to solve problems about motion in one direction and equip you to understand how these concepts apply to everyday life.
There are three equations for linear motion with constant acceleration. They can be used to calculate, and therefore predict, the outcome of motion when three out of the four variables are known.
This unit is about how things move along a straight line or, more scientifically, how things move in one dimension. Examples of this would be the movement (motion) of cars along a straight road or of trains along straight railway tracks.
In this chapter, we’ll use vectors to expand our understanding of forces and motion into two dimensions. Most real-world physics problems (such as with the game of pool pictured here) are, after all, either two- or three-dimensional problems and physics is most useful when applied to real physical scenarios. We start by learning the practical skills of graphically adding and subtracting vectors (by using drawings) and analytically (with math). Once we’re able to work with two-dimensional vectors, we apply these skills to problems of projectile motion, inclined planes, and harmonic motion.