Kinematics Concepts Flashcards

Kinematics Overview

• Kinematics studies motion, employing various descriptors like words, diagrams, numbers, graphs, and equations.
• It is a branch of mechanics aimed at creating mental models for explaining the motion of real-world objects.

Scalars and Vectors

• Scalars are quantities described solely by a magnitude (numerical value).
• Vectors include both magnitude and direction.

Motion Characteristics

• Distance is a scalar measuring how much ground an object has covered.
• Displacement is a vector indicating the overall change in an object's position, considering both distance and direction.
• Speed is a scalar measuring how fast an object moves, defined as the rate of distance covered.
• Velocity is a vector that reflects the rate at which an object changes its position.

Acceleration Concepts

• Acceleration is a vector quantity representing the rate of change of velocity.
• Constant acceleration means velocity changes by a consistent amount each second.

Fundamental Definitions

• Position indicates the location of an object within a reference frame.
• Mass quantifies an object's inertia; greater mass means more resistance to motion.
• Weight is the force exerted on an object by gravity.

Reference and Measurement

• The initial frame of reference is the starting point for viewing an object's relation to a problem.
• Rate compares a certain quantity of one item to a measurement of another.

Forces and Motion Dynamics

• Freefall occurs when gravity is the only acting force on an object.
• Magnitude of acceleration due to gravity, denoted as 'g', reflects this acceleration.

Significant Figures

• Significant figures involve all non-zero digits and zeros that indicate precision.

Vector Representation

• The tip-to-tail method is used to find a resultant vector by connecting the tail of one vector to the tip of another.
• Resultant vectors represent the sum of multiple vectors.
• Components are perpendicular vectors that, when combined, reconstruct the original vector.

Additional Key Terms

• Instantaneous speed refers to the speed of an object at a specific moment in time.
• Average speed is calculated by dividing total distance by total time.
• Average velocity is the ratio of displacement to the time taken for that displacement.
• Instantaneous velocity combines speed and direction at a single moment.

Measurement Devices

• A photogate is a device that records the time an object blocks an infrared beam, useful for motion studies.