Formulas are your friends, use them. 

Hey physics 2A and 4A students, you guys should be starting  or getting close to starting kinematics. 

There are multiple kinematic equations and it is difficult to see which one should or should not be used. 

When starting any physics problem always write have a check list of ;

1. What the question is asking for 

2. What you have

3. What you do not have 

4. A diagram of the what the problem is asking for 

When you have this list, you guys can figure out what equation should be used 

1. X = displacement  

2. a = acceleration  

3.  t = time.

4.  vf = final velocity

5. vi = initial velocity

a)  ΔX=vit + 1/2 at2   

• Has displacement, time, acceleration, and initial velocity 

• Doesn't have final velocity 

b) (vi +vf)/2 = X/t

• Has displacement, time, final velocity , and initial velocity 

• Doesn't have acceleration

c) a = (vf - vi)/t     

• Has acceleration, time, final velocity , and initial velocity 

• Doesn't have displacement

d) vf2 = vi2 + 2aΔX

• Has acceleration, displacement , final velocity , and initial velocity 

• Doesn't have time

Revised by Sarkis Tatarian, Letty Ramos, and Luke Fuller