Physics (university) · Part 01
Motion and vectors
Describing how things move, using displacement, velocity, acceleration and vectors.
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- DisplacementThe straight-line change in position from start to finish, with a direction. It ignores the path you took.
- VelocityHow fast your position changes, with a direction. Average velocity is displacement divided by time.
- AccelerationHow fast your velocity changes. Speeding up, slowing down and turning all count as acceleration.
- Constant-acceleration equationsThree formulas that link position, velocity, acceleration and time when acceleration does not change.
- Free fallMotion with only gravity acting. Near Earth's surface every object gains about 9.8 m/s of speed each second, ignoring air.
- Vector componentsA vector has size and direction. You can split it into an x part and a y part using sine and cosine.
- Projectile motionMotion of a thrown object under gravity alone. Sideways speed stays constant while up-and-down motion has acceleration g.
- Relative velocityThe velocity of one object as seen from another moving object. You add or subtract velocity vectors.