Ever wonder how to predict whether a basketball player’s shot will make it into the hoop, or why cars zoom past each other on the highway? Kinematics is the science behind everything that moves! In this class, you'll learn how to describe, analyze, and predict motion. Join me to explore the physics that powers your everyday adventures and get ready to see motion in a whole new way! 🛣️
What You’ll Learn 📖
• Scalars and Vectors: Understand the difference between quantities with and without direction.
• Motion Diagrams: Visualize how objects move over time.
• Position, Displacement, and Distance: Track where things are and how far they’ve traveled.
• Speed and Velocity: Learn what makes something fast and what makes it fast in a particular direction!
• Acceleration: Discover how and why things speed up or slow down.
• Mathematical Models of Motion: Use equations to predict and describe movement.
• Graphical Analysis: Interpret and create position, velocity, and acceleration graphs.
• Free-Fall and Gravity: Explore how objects move when gravity is the only force acting.
• Solving Real-World Problems: Apply kinematics to everyday situations, from sports to driving.
• Multiple Dimensions: Extend your understanding from straight-line motion to motion in two dimensions (like projectile motion).
What You’ll Need to Succeed
• Algebra Skills: Comfort with solving equations, rearranging formulas, and working with variables 🔢
• Basic Geometry: Understanding of shapes, angles, and how to use the Pythagorean theorem 📐
• Pen, Paper, and Calculator: Be ready to jot down notes, sketch diagrams, and crunch some numbers 📝
• Curiosity and a Growth Mindset: Willingness to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn from them 🧠
• Some Experience with Graphs: Ability to read and interpret simple line graphs 📉
• A Sense of Wonder: An interest in figuring out how the world moves and why 💡
