Physics definitions
Motion The change in position relative to a reference point. The act of moving or movement
Point at which a position is determined Frame of reference Point at which a position is determined
The separation between an object and a reference point Position The separation between an object and a reference point
Displacement The measurement of how far an object is from its original starting point. VECTOR!
Magnitude and direction Vector Magnitude and direction
Scalar Only magnitude
Magnitude How big or how great something is
Distance How far something travels. Can be in any direction. THIS IS SCALAR
Speed How fast something is moving. The distance an object travels in a unit of time SCALAR Units of meters/second (m/s)
Speed
Instantaneous Speed The speed at any instant Ex. Looking at your spedometer
Average speed The total distance traveled divided by the time interval
Speed Example What is the speed of a cheetah if it can travel a distance of 100m in 4 seconds?
Velocity Speed in a given direction. How fast something is moving in a given direction Change in the position divided by the time interval. VECTOR Units: M/s Es. 68 m/s W
Occurs when either speed, direction, or both change. Changing Velocity Occurs when either speed, direction, or both change.
Constant Velocity Require that both speed and direction must remain constant
Average Velocity The change in position divided by the change in time with a direction
Example: Velocity What is the velocity of a red car traveling south at a rate of 200 miles in 4 hours?
Acceleration The rate at which velocity changes over a given amount of time. Vector m/s^2