文档介绍：Lesson 1: Describing Motion with Words
1 Introduction to the Language of Kinematics
We will devote the next several months to learning about the physics of
motion. As we focus on the language, principles, and laws which describe
and explain the motion of objects, your efforts should center around
internalizing the meaning of the information. Avoid memorizing the
information; and avoid abstracting the information from the physical
world which it describes and explains. Rather, contemplate the
information, thinking about its meaning and its applications.
Kinematics is the science of describing the motion of objects using words,
diagrams, numbers, graphs, and equations. The goal of any study of
kinematics is to develop sophisticated mental models which serve us in
describing (and ultimately, explaining) the motion of real-world objects.
In this lesson, we will investigate the words used to describe the motion
of objects. That is, we will focus on the language of kinematics. The words
listed below are used with regularity to describe the motion of objects.
Your goal should be to e very familiar with their meanings. You may
click on any word now to investigate its meaning or proceed with the lesson
in the order listed at the bottom of this page.
2 Scalars and Vectors
Physics is a mathematical science - that is, the underlying concepts and
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