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Kinematics
Kinematics Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Mechanics | the study of the motion of objects |
Kinematics | the language of mechanics |
Linear motion | when an object moves in a straight line |
Circular motion (parabolic) | when an object moves along a curved path |
Vibrational motion | when an object simply vibrates |
Rotational motion | when an object rotates around a fixed position (toy top) |
Speed | how fast an object is moving |
Scalar quantity | fully described by a value |
Vector quantity | described by a value and a direction |
Velocity | rate at which an object changes its position |
Distance to time ratio | speed of the object |
Acceleration | rate an object's velocity changes |
Rate quantity | time-based |
Distance | "how much ground an object covered" during its motion |
Displacement | "how far out of place an object is"; overall change |
Instantaneous speed | speed at any given instant in time (speedometer) |
Average speed | average of all instantaneous speeds |
Constant acceleration | when velocity changes by a constant amount each value |
Positive acceleration | when an object is speeding up in the positive direction/ when an object is slowing down in the negative direction |
Negative acceleration | when an object is slowing down in the positive direction/ when an object is speeding up in the negative direction |
Vector diagrams | diagrams that depict the direction and relative magnitude of a vector quantity by a vector arrow |
Ticker tape analysis | when a long tape is attached to an object in motion and threaded through a device that places a tick at regular intervals |