1-Dimensional Kinematics, Speed, Velocity, Acceleration

Lecture Description

This lecture is an introduction to kinematics which ultimately leads (in Lecture 4) to trajectories in three-dimensions. Professor Lewin begins with a description of one-dimensional motion of a particle. He talks about average velocity, the importance of  + and  - signs, and our free choice of origin. He moves into a conversation about average speed vs. average velocity, instantaneous velocity (reviewing when velocity is zero, positive, and negative), and instantaneous acceleration. He shoots a bullet through two wires, calculating the average speed from the distance between the wires and the elapsed time.

Course Description

This course is a first-semester freshman physics class in Newtonian Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, and Kinetic Gas Theory. In addition to the basic concepts a variety of interesting topics are covered in this course: Binary Stars, Neutron Stars, Black Holes, Resonance Phenomena, Musical Instruments, Stellar Collapse, Supernovae, Astronomical observations from very high flying balloons (lecture 35), and you will be allowed a peek into the intriguing Quantum World.

Related Resources

Transcript

Course Index

1. Measurements of Space and Time
2. 1-Dimensional Kinematics, Speed, Velocity, Acceleration
3. Vectors, Dot Products, Cross Products, 3D Kinematics
4. 3-D Kinematics, The Motion of Projectiles
5. Circular Motion, Centrifuges, Moving Reference Frames
6. Newton's Three Laws
7. Weight and Weightlessness
8. Friction
9. Exam-I Review
10. Hooke's Law and Simple Harmonic Motion
11. Work and Mechanical Energy
12. Resistive Forces
13. Conservative Forces and SHO
14. Satellite Orbits - Energy - Power
15. Collisions and the Center of Mass
16. Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
17. Change of Momentum, Impulse, Rockets
18. Exam Review II
19. Rotational Kinetic Energy
20. Angular Momentum
21. Torques, Oscillating Bodies
22. Elliptical Orbits
23. Doppler Shift and Stellar Dynamics
24. Rate of Change of Angular Momentum
25. Static Equilibrium
26. Elasticity of Materials
27. Pressure in a Static Fluid
28. Buoyant Force and Bernoulli's Equation
29. Exam Review
30. Other Oscillating Systems
31. Forced Oscillations and Resonance
32. Heat, Conductivity and Thermal Expansion
33. Ideal-Gas Law and Phase Transitions, Isothermal Atmosphere
34. The Wonderful Quantum World
35. X-ray Astronomy and Astrophysics