Kinematics (Motion)
In this topic, you will study how things move and how the relevant quantities are related.
In this topic, you will study how things move and how the relevant quantities are related.
- Motion, Speed & Velocity and Acceleration deal with understanding and calculating the velocity (change in position) and acceleration (change in velocity) of an object, and with representing and interpreting graphs involving these quantities.
- Projectile Motion deals with an object that has two-dimensional motion—moving horizontally and also affected by gravity.
- Choosing from a set of equations based on the quantities present.
- Working with vector quantities.
- Relating the slope of a graph and the area under a graph to equations.
- Using graphs to represent and calculate quantities.
- Keeping track of things happening in two directions at once.
- Standards
Central Concept: Newton's laws of motion and gravitation describe and predict the motion of most objects.- 1.1 Compare and contrast vector quantities (e.g.,displacement, velocity, acceleration force, linear momentum) and scalar quantities (e.g., distance, speed, energy, mass, work).
- 1.2 Distinguish between displacement, distance, velocity, speed, and acceleration. Solve problems involving displacement, distance, velocity, speed, and constant acceleration.
- 1.3 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.
- AP Physics 1 Learning Objectives:3.A.1.1: The student is able to express the motion of an object using narrative, mathematical, and graphical representations. [SP 1.5, 2.1, 2.2]
3.A.1.2: The student is able to design an experimental investigation of the motion of an object. [SP 4.2]
3.A.1.3: The student is able to analyze experimental data describing the motion of an object and is able to express the results of the analysis using narrative, mathematical, and graphical representations. [SP 5.1]
Concepts Assessed on the SAT Subject Test in PhysicsKinematics, such as velocity, acceleration, motion in one dimension, and motion of projectiles- Displacement
- Speed, velocity and acceleration
- Kinematics with graphs
- One-dimensional motion with uniform acceleration
- Two-dimensional motion with uniform acceleration