Midterm 1 Flashcards
Kinematics
description/geometry of motion (no regard for causes)
Dynamics
relation between causes and effects (forces causing changes in motion)
Average velocity
slope of the secant line of position vs. time graph
Average speed
magnitude of velocity
Instantaneous velocity
slope of tangent line on position vs. time graph
Instantaneous acceleration
slope of the tangent line of velocity vs. time graph
Do positions change in different reference frames? Do displacements?
positions may be different in different reference frames, but displacements are the same
Inertial reference
frames at rest or moving with constant velocity with respect to each other
frames in which Newton’s Laws are the same
Galilean transformation for velocities
Although observers A & C are moving with constant relative motion, they DISAGREE about the values of velocity as seen in their frames. They AGREE that velocities are constant with no changes in motion.
Equation for displacement if velocity is constant:
Equation for velocity if acceleration is constant: with and without time
Equation for position if acceleration is constant:
Centripetal acceleration
always directed towards the center of the circle
Newton’s 1st Law
Body will continue at rest or in motion with constant velocity (along a straight line) unless there is a non-zero force that changes its motion.
Newton’s 2nd Law
F = ma
