Objectives - phys161

chapter 2

Vocabulary

Dynamics, Kinematics, Resultant, Free Fall, Freely Falling Body, Jerk, Tangent Line.

Objectives. At this point in the course, the student should

1. Understand the meaning of 'the slope of a graph', and be able to calculate such a slope, given sufficient information.
2. Be comfortable interpreting and constructing one dimensional position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs.
3. Have fluency with algebra, plane geometry, and trigonometry.
4. Be comfortable taking derivatives and integrals of functions containing only simple powers.
5. Understand how calculus may be used to pass back and forth between position vs. time, velocity vs. time, acceleration vs. time, jerk vs. time, etc. functions and graphs. Of course, the student should also be able to use calculus to move back and forth arbitrarily between the various graphs and functions.
6. Be comfortable with linear kinematics in one dimension. It should be possible for the student to communicate this comfort both algebraically and graphically.
7. Have memorized the value of the gravitational acceleration at the surface of the Earth (g).
8. Be able to apply kinematical ideas to arbitrary one-dimensional situations.