Motion and forces8 lessons

Kinematics

Build the language and mathematical models used to describe position, displacement, velocity, acceleration, uniformly accelerated motion, and free fall.

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  1. Scalars, Vectors, Distance, and DisplacementDistinguish scalar quantities from vectors, then compare the path traveled with the change in position from start to finish.
  2. Speed, Velocity, Average, and Instantaneous MotionDistinguish speed from velocity, compare average and instantaneous values, and use a one-lap track example to see why average speed can be nonzero while average velocity is zero.
  3. Acceleration: Changing Velocity and DirectionDistinguish acceleration from velocity, interpret positive and negative directions, and decide whether an object speeds up, slows down, stops, or reverses.
  4. Uniform Accelerated Motion (UAM) EquationsLearn when the constant-acceleration equations apply, how they are built from familiar rate equations, and how to choose the equation that matches the knowns and target.
  5. Uniform Accelerated Motion (UAM) ExamplesWork through seven constant-acceleration examples using a consistent read, list, select, rearrange, substitute, solve, and check process, with careful attention to signs, units, and the meaning of each result.
  6. Free FallPredict free-fall motion using the gravity-only model, explain why mass does not change ideal free-fall acceleration, assign the sign of g, and distinguish velocity from acceleration during an upward toss.
  7. Free Fall Example ProblemsWork through seven free-fall problems in teaching order using hidden knowns, consistent sign conventions, equation selection, units, and physical checks—including a careful distinction between ascent time and total airtime.
  8. Isolating Variables: A Physics Math ReviewRearrange physics equations symbolically by preserving equality, undoing operations in a useful order, respecting grouped terms, factoring repeated targets, and recognizing equivalent final forms.
Motion and forces5 lessons

Dynamics and Forces

Identify forces, build free-body diagrams, and connect interactions to changes in motion.

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  1. Forces and Free-Body DiagramsBegin dynamics by identifying forces, representing the forces acting on one object, and distinguishing individual forces from their net force.
  2. Newton’s First Law and InertiaConnect zero net force with constant velocity, explain why ordinary objects stop, and relate an object’s inertia to its mass rather than its speed.
  3. Newton’s Second Law: Force, Mass, and AccelerationUse net force and mass to predict acceleration, distinguish mass from weight, and connect a force diagram to a signed Newton’s second-law equation.
  4. Newton’s Third Law: Interaction Force PairsIdentify equal-and-opposite interaction forces, distinguish them from balanced forces on one object, and use system boundaries to decide which forces belong on a free-body diagram.
  5. Newton’s Laws in Practice: Free-Body Diagrams and Net ForceMove from a physical situation to a free-body diagram, separate force equations by axis, and interpret the sign of a calculated acceleration.