[scheduled:: 2025-01-17]

Kinematics overview

Discussion

Start with Lab 2 from [[Physics_Lab_Manual_Full-openstax.pdf]]

Turning points

A Turning point is when the velocity of an object switches direction (like a ball thrown high stops and then falls back down). Analyze this motion together with a motion diagram.

Distance and Displacement

Distance can be used to record how much movement happened, while displacement indicates how far the object ended up from its starting point. Are these different? Give an example of when they are different, and when they are the same.

Position, Speed, and Acceleration graphs

Graphing these can be very tricky. Start simple: Graph the position for an air-hockey puck sliding at constant speed, without friction, in the positive X direction. Graph the speed and acceleration on the same coordinate plane.

Now, graph the position of a ball rolling down a ramp under the force of gravity. First draw a pictorial representation, then a motion diagram, and finally draw a graph of the ball's distance from the start over time. Add the speed of the ball to the same graph, and finally add the acceleration over time.

Give them a graph of velocity with sharp-angled corners connecting linear regions. Ask for the graph of the acceleration that matches that velocity.

Final question

Use the full problem-solving worksheet to answer this question (pictorial-representation, motion-diagram, and labeled variables and kinematic equations):

Sally opens her parachute at a height of 2000 feet and descends at a steady 25 ft/sec. How long does it take her to touch down?

Concept summary and connections

Worked examples

Media resources

Guided practice

Homework