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Solving a word problem to find average velocity and speed of an object in one-dimension.

Introduction to bacteria

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.

• Identify when forces are balanced vs unbalanced.
• Determine the sum of forces (net force) on an object with more than one force on it.
• Predict the motion of an object with zero net force.
• Predict the direction of motion given a combination of forces.

Determining how fast something will be traveling upon impact when it is released from a given height. 

Explore the various forces acting on a block sitting on an inclined plane. Learn how to break the force of gravity into two components - one perpendicular to the ramp and one parallel to the ramp. Finally, using geometry and trigonometry, learn how to calculate the magnitude of each component of force that is acting on the block.

Instantaneous speed is a measurement of how fast an object is moving at that particular moment. Instantaneous velocity is a vector quantity that includes both the speed and the direction in which the object is moving. Learn how to find an object’s instantaneous speed or velocity in three ways - by using calculus, by looking at the slope of a given point on a graph of an object’s rate vs. time, or by using kinematic formulas if the object’s acceleration is constant. 

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.

You want a projectile to fly as far as possible, at which angle should you launch it? We'll start with formulas for the initial velocity.

Plotting projectile displacement, acceleration, and velocity as a function of time.