Kinematics

Essential Questions

• How can the idea of frames of reference allow two people to tell the truth yet have conflicting reports?

• How can we estimate the height of a very tall building with only a small rock and a stopwatch?

• Why might it seem like you are moving backwards when a car passes you on the highway?

• Why is the general rule for stopping your car “when you double your speed, you must give yourself four times as much distance to stop”?

Learning Objectives

Scalars and Vectors in One Dimension

• Describe a scalar or vector quantity using magnitude and direction, as appropriate.

• Describe a vector sum in one dimension.

Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration

• Describe a change in an object’s position.

• Describe the average velocity and acceleration of an object.

• Describe the velocity and acceleration of an object.

Representing Motion

• Describe the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object using representations of that object’s motion.

Reference Frames and Relative Motion

• Describe the reference frame of a given observer.

• Describe the motion of objects as measured by observers in different inertial reference frames.

Vectors and Motion in Two Dimensions

• Describe the perpendicular components of a vector.

• Describe the motion of an object moving in two dimensions.

Printable Learning Objectives