Understanding How Things Move

Physics begins with motion! Kinematics is the study of how objects move, without worrying about why they move. You'll learn about position, velocity, acceleration, and how to describe motion with simple equations.

Key Elements

• Position: Where is the object?
• Displacement: How far did it move, and in what direction?
• Velocity: How fast and in which direction?
• Acceleration: How quickly is velocity changing?

Equations That Help

• \( v = v_0 + at \)
• \( x = x_0 + v_0 t + \frac{1}{2}at^2 \)
• \( v^2 = v_0^2 + 2a(x - x_0) \)

These equations connect position, velocity, acceleration, and time!

Real-World Tie-In

Whether it's a car speeding up at a green light or a ball thrown in the air, kinematics lets you predict where and when objects will be—super useful for everything from sports to engineering!