Kinematics is the study of motion, that is, the relationship between an object's position, time, and the rate at which those change. The simplest descriptions and predictions of motion are for objects that don't move at all or only move back and forth along one dimension.
By the end of this unit, a successful student will be able to:
1) Define physics and explain how mathematics relates to science (1.1, 1.2)
2) Describe how the scientific method is self-correcting (1.3-1.5)
3) Explain what is meant by “scientific theory” (1.4, 1.5)
4) Distinguish between displacement, distance, velocity, speed, and acceleration. Solve problems involving displacement, distance, velocity, speed, and constant acceleration. (MSTE Phys 1.2) (All of Ch. 2)
5) Create and interpret graphs of 1-dimensional motion, such as position vs. time, distance vs. time, speed vs. time, velocity vs. time, and acceleration vs. time where acceleration is constant. (MSTE Phys 1.3) (2.7)
6) Compare and contrast vector quantities (such as displacement, velocity, acceleration…) and scalar quantities (such as distance, speed,…). (MSTE Phys: 1.1) (2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2)
7) (lab) Conduct an experiment applying the above techniques.
All assignments are due on the date listed. That is not the date they are assigned.
Due date Day Assignment
? Day 1 Introduction
? Day 2 Read: Chapter 1 pp. 1-8
Do: p. 8 Review questions (RQ’s): 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10
Do: p. 8 Think and Explain (T&E): 11, 12 (PS1)
(Goals 1, 2, 3)
? Day 3 Read: 2.1-2.3 and 3.1-3.2
Do: RQ’s (Ch 2): 1-8 (PS2) (Goals 4, 6)
(Optional: Physics in the News)
? Day 4 Read: 2.4-2.6
Do: RQ’s: 9-21 (PS3) (Goal 4)
? Day 5 Read: 2.7-2.9
Do: RQ’s: 22-24
? Day 6 Do: Lab: Gravity Drop B-2 – Speed, Acceleration and Free Fall
(Goals 4, 5, 6, 7)
? Day 7 Do: Plug and Chug (P&C): 27, 28,
T&E: 36, 39, 40
Think and Solve (T&S): 44, 45, 47 (PS5) (Goals 4, 5, 6)
? Day 8 Do: Lab: 01 Graph Matching (Goals 4, 5, 6, 7)
? Day 9 Test: Unit 1
Links - Physics Preliminaries
Missed a class? Forgot what we did last week? Follow the link to Physics Unit 1 Daily Plans
- Textbook links
- Scientific Methods
- While often described as "The" scientific method, there is no single recipe for doing good science. There are, however a number of common elements in most versions of the scientific method. The following pages describe them.
- Wikipedia's entry on the Scientific Method describes the method in detail as well as its historical development.
- Jose Wudka's The Scientific Method comes from a collection of physics notes. It describes the method in a general form and contrasts it with non & pseudo-scientific methods.
- Bill Latura maintains a similar page taken from Usenet's sci.skeptic FAQ on the Scientific Method.
- J. Stein Carter describes The Scientific Method from a biological standpoint including javascript exercises to help check your understanding.
- Frank Wolfs provides an Introduction to the Scientific Method including an explanation of when the scientific method is not applicable.
- Dr. Terry Halwes explores The Myth of the Magical Scientific Method calling attention to the multiplicity of methods through which good science is accomplished.
- Physicist Richard Feynman addresses the question It's from a speech from 1966 and does include a couple of gender stereotypes in recounting an incident from the 1940's.
- Scientific Notation and Basic Trigonometry
- Bruce Bryson has adapted the rather famous film/book The Powers of Ten by Philip and Phyllis Morrison and the office of Charles & Ray Eames. It teaches about scientific notation and length scales in the univese from tiny quarks to the most distant quasars by zooming in and out from a patch of skin on the hand of a sleeping man in a park.
- International System of Units from NIST describes the SI system, the most widely recognized metric system of units. It includes a history of the system metric prefixes, and unit conversions.
- Frank Tapson's A Dictionary of Measures, Units and Conversions includes tables explaining the same for the SI system as well as for the UK Imperial system and the American systems of measurements with further explanations of units by catagory on separate pages.
- After the mks or SI metric system, the cgs or Gaussian system is the most commonly used metric system - mainly for electricity and magnetism. Eric Weisstein's page compares cgs to SI.
- Lecture 1: Units, Dimensions, and Scaling Arguments Walter Lewin's 8.01 Intro Mechanics class from MIT.
- Measurement, Error, Accuracy and Precision
- Bellevue Community College's physics department has this Introduction to Measurement and Sig Figs including uncertainty, accuracy and precision.
- Links - 1-D Kinematics
- Classical Mechanics is the branch of physics first codified by Isaac Newton, built on a foundation laid by Galileo. It works out quite well so long as the velocities involved are much less than the speed of light in a vacuum, when relativity kicks in, or if you try to specify the momentum and position or energy and time of an object so closely that quantum uncertainty becomes important. Most everyday situations involving forces, mass, and energy, can be adequately described using classical mechanics.
- In addition to his astronomical discoveries and his popularization of the telescope as an astronomical instrument, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is credited with uncovering the law of inertia as well as recognizing that near the surface of the Earth all bodies fall at the same rate of acceleration. In addition, he recognized that an object's velocity is dependent upon the frame of reference of the observer, and that the motion of an object could be described separately in vertical, and two horizontal dimensions, thus developing the concept of Galilean relativity. Rice University's Galileo Project details much of his history.
- Motion In One Dimension (1-D Kinematics): Part 1: Position, Time, Displacement, and Velocity In this video we take a look at what we need in order to describe and quantify motion. We determine that at a minimum, we need position, which requires a frame of reference with a fixed origin and orientation, and time, also with a moment considered to be zero for time. We attempt to define position, time, and frames of reference. We also define displacement as the difference between positions at different times and develop notation to represent them. We use use data of two people walking at different rates of position with respect to time, plot that on a graph, and use that to motivate a definition for both instantaneous velocity and average velocity. We connect those quantities to slope on a position versus time graph.
- Motion in One Dimension (1-D Kinematics): Part 2: Scalars and Vectors After a brief recap of the previous lesson we define what scalar quantities and what vector quantities are and give some examples. In the process we differentiate speed from velocity and distance from displacement.
- Introduction to Vectors and Scalars Sal Khan defines vectors and scalars using distance, displacement, speed, and velocity as examples. Note: he uses an equation for speed which is more properly "average speed" not instantaneous speed. It is also redundant to say "The magnitude of speed".
- Calculating average velocity or speed. Sal Khan defines average velocity and solves a problem involving average velocity, distance and time. He also does a km/h to m/s unit conversion. Note: He uses the term "rate" as a synonym for speed. "Rate" is too vague. Speed is specifically the magnitude of the rate of change of position with respect to time. Also: Dimensional analysis is related to but is not the same as unit conversions.
- Solving for time Sal Khan solves a simple, constant velocity problem for time given the velocity and displacement. First he does so in a scalar variation of the problem. Note: "rate" is too vague and should not be used to mean speed (see above). Note2: Khan claims that delta is implied in writing "t". What this means is he is letting t = t-final, and 0 = t-original. He's being a little sloppy/informal in omitting the deltas here and for displacement.
- Displacement from time and velocity example Sal Khan works an example problem where constant velocity and time are given, and solves for displacement. His solution also involves a unit conversion.
- Motion In One Dimension (1-D Kinematics) Part 3: Changing Velocity and Displacement In this lecture, after a brief recap of previous principles we deduce the connection between displacement and a velocity versus time graph. We do this through a brief problem solving example and demonstrate some basic problem solving techniques. We draw the conclusion that the area under a velocity versus time curve is equal to the displacement over that time period.
- Galilean Relativity: Basics I describe Galilean Relativity, first through an example involving motion on a moving bus, in the frame of reference of the bus and in that of the road. Vector algebra equations are shown to illustrate key ideas for Galilean Relativity. The example shown is in one dimension.
- Frames of Reference: PSSC Physics Frames of reference, Galilean Relativity, Projectiles in constant v frames; Projectiles in constant a frames; accelerating frames and inertial frames; fictitious forces.
- Motion In One Dimension (1-D Kinematics) Part 4: Acceleration We define acceleration as the rate of change of velocity with respect to time and connect that to the slope of a velocity versus time curve. We use that and our previously deduced relationship between the area under velocity versus time curves and displacement, to determine equations showing the relationships between displacement, time, initial velocity, final velocity, and acceleration under conditions of constant acceleration.
- Motion In One Dimension (1-D Kinematics) Part 5: Constant Acceleration Problem Solving In this lecture we discuss general problem solving techniques that can be applied through out physics and other areas involving mathematical analysis. We apply that to an example problem involving a car slowing down to a stop under constant acceleration.
- Motion In One Dimension (1-D Kinematics) Part 6: Free Fall (Including Problem Solving) In this lecture we define free fall, describe how near the surface of the Earth that involves a constant acceleration downward at a rate of g, and use that to help solve an example problem.
- Demonstrating that in the absence of other forces (such as air resistance), astronaut David Scott shows that all objects fall at the same constant rate of acceleration by simultaneously dropping a hammer and feather on the Moon
- A video in which I demonstrate how objects near the surface of the Earth accelerate at the same rate, except when air resistance is significant. Siren: The constant acceleration of gravity near Earth's surface.
- Motion In One Dimension (1-D Kinematics) Part 7: Maximum Height In this lecture we look at what happens when an object is in freefall, launched upwards with some initial speed. We look at the symmetries of the speeds and heights with respect to time and each other. We take our existing equations of motion and derive an additional equation relating speeds to acceleration and displacement. We discuss what quantities have what values when an object reaches its maximum height. We use those relationships for approaching two problems involving high jumpers, both on Earth and on Mars.
- CalTech's freshman lecture on The Law of Falling Bodies from episode 2 of The Mechanical Universe
- Kinematics Applets
- Average speed applet and sample problem by Andrew Duffy at B.U.
- Graphing constant velocity and constant acceleration motion applet position vs. time and velocity vs. time by Andrew Duffy at B.U.
- Graphing simultaneous position vs. time and velocity vs. time plots for constant velocity applet by Andrew Duffy at B.U.
- Problem with two cars, one accelerating and passing applet by Andrew Duffy at B.U.
- Plotting position vs. time, velocity vs. time, and acceleration vs. time for the above car problem
- Freefall problem applet by Andrew Duffy
- Freefall illustrating vector quantities (velocity, position, acceleration), applet by Andrew Duffy.
- Relative motion for constant velocities, applet by Andrew Duffy.
- A relative motion problem applet by Andrew Duffy.
You may be interested in The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonnick and Art Huffman.