Physicss Lecture 1 Translational Mottion

Examkrackers MCAT Com mprehensive Co

ourse, Charles Feng
http://fenguin.net/mcat fenguin@gmail.
f .com (224) 5332-0039

Drawing the Diagram

Try to draw iti as to scale ass possible
Draw arrowss for all forces, including one
es they dont mention
m expliccitly
Make sure yo our drawn forcces make sense are there any
a unbalanceed ones? Then there has to b be accelerationn. If theres
no accelerattion (object noot moving or moving
m at consstant velocity) and you have unbalanced fo
orces, youre m
missing
something

ectors vs. Sca

Ve alars, Vector Mathematics
M
Vectors havee magnitude and
a direction, scalars
s have magnitude
m but no direction
ALWAYS con nvert to x and y componentss when dealingg with vectorss:

cos , sin ,
Can add/subbtract vectors mathematical
m ly or graphicallly (mathemat ically: just add
d components))
Multiplying vector
v by scalaar: just multiplly each compo onent by the sccalar
Multiplying vector
v by vecttor:
o Cross prooduct vecto or, sin , usuaally and are perpend dicular so
o Dot prod duct scalar, cos , usuallyy and aare parallel so

Kinematics
Scalars: distaance, speed
distancce
speed
time
Vectors: disp
placement, velocity, acceleraation
o Velocity is
i the slope of displacement, or
disttance
vellocity
timme
o Accelerattion is the slop
pe of velocity, or
o
vvelocity
acceleration
time
Special cases:
o When dissplacement is flat,
f velocity iss zero
When dissplacement is going
g up, veloocity is positive
e
When dissplacement is going
g down, velocity
v is negaative
o When velocity is flat, accceleration is zero
z
When velocity is going up, acceleration is positive
When velocity is going down, acceleration is negattive
Note it doesnt matter whe ether displacement is positivve/negative fo
or velocity, and
d whether velo
ocity is positivee/negative
for accelerattion!
Always use and com
mponents whe en doing these e problems!

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 Physicss Lecture 1 Translational Mottion
Examkrackers MCAT Com mprehensive Co
ourse, Charles Feng
http://fenguin.net/mcat fenguin@gmail.
f .com (224) 5332-0039

Uniformly Acce
elerated Motiion
The most im
mportant equattions you will use:
u
1
, , 2
2
1
, , 2
2
Know what each
e equation
n relates, then see
s what you know
k and whaat you need
o Left: , , or , ,
o Middle: , , or , ,
o Right: , , or , ,
ties the and compponents togeth her
Special form
mulas:
o Average velocity when theres constaant acceleratio
on:
1
2
o Average acceleration:

o Total disttance traveled when theres constant acce

eleration:

eading Graph
Re hs
LOOK AT AX gure out whatt youre looking at!)
XES FIRST (to fig
Displacemen nt vs. time graph:
o Slope is velocity
v
o Crossing X axis = back tot initial locatiion
o Increasing = moving fo orward, decreaasing = moving g backwards
Velocity vs. time
t graph:
o Slope is acceleration
a
o Sum of areas under currve (subtractin w axis) = displa cement
ng areas below
o Sum of areas under currve (adding are eas below axiss) = distance
o Crossing X axis = zero velocity
v or stattionary
o Increasing = acceleratin ng, decreasing g = deceleratin
ng

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 Physicss Lecture 1 Translational Mottion
Examkrackers MCAT Com mprehensive Co
ourse, Charles Feng
http://fenguin.net/mcat fenguin@gmail.
f .com (224) 5332-0039

Prrojectile motiion
Separate mo otion into vertiical and horizoontal compone ents
Most of the time,
t you onlyy have acceleraation in the vertical direction
n:
10 m/s
and no acceleration in thee horizontal dirrection:
0
This means initial
i velocity in the direcction will be maintained
m thro
ough the courrse of the entirre motion

M
Most basic situaation:
Object being g launched at a velocity and angle from the grou und, then hits tthe ground so
ome time/distaance later
Useful to draaw a table for important
i points in the obje
ects flight: (leaave stuff you d
dont know blaank)

Initially
I At peak
p height At landing
1
0
2
0 0
cos cos cos
sin 0 sin
0 0 0
10 10 10
1
0
2

Specific things they can assk: (note below)

o Total time of flight:
1 1 2
0 0
2 2
o Total disttance traveled:
2 2 sin cos sin 2

o Peak heig
ght:
2 0 2
2
One more usseful formula: for an object starting
s at restt in the direection, after seconds it will fall
1 1 1
distancce fell
2 2 2

Air resistance: object

o is affecte
ed more if it haas larger surface area or is leess streamlined
d, or if it is travveling at a high
her velocity
Teerminal velocitty: when an ob bjects air resisstance equals its weight, cauusing no acceleeration/constaant velocity

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