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College Physics

Introduction to Two-Dimensional Kinematics

College PhysicsIntroduction to Two-Dimensional Kinematics
Figure 3.1 Everyday motion that we experience is, thankfully, rarely as tortuous as a rollercoaster ride like this—the Dragon Khan in Spain’s Universal Port Aventura Amusement Park. However, most motion is in curved, rather than straight-line, paths. Motion along a curved path is two- or three-dimensional motion, and can be described in a similar fashion to one-dimensional motion. (credit: Boris23/Wikimedia Commons)

Chapter Outline

  • 3.1 Kinematics in Two Dimensions: An Introduction
    • Observe that motion in two dimensions consists of horizontal and vertical components.
    • Understand the independence of horizontal and vertical vectors in two-dimensional motion.
  • 3.2 Vector Addition and Subtraction: Graphical Methods
    • Understand the rules of vector addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
    • Apply graphical methods of vector addition and subtraction to determine the displacement of moving objects.
  • 3.3 Vector Addition and Subtraction: Analytical Methods
    • Understand the rules of vector addition and subtraction using analytical methods.
    • Apply analytical methods to determine vertical and horizontal component vectors.
    • Apply analytical methods to determine the magnitude and direction of a resultant vector.
  • 3.4 Projectile Motion
    • Identify and explain the properties of a projectile, such as acceleration due to gravity, range, maximum height, and trajectory.
    • Determine the location and velocity of a projectile at different points in its trajectory.
    • Apply the principle of independence of motion to solve projectile motion problems.
  • 3.5 Addition of Velocities
    • Apply principles of vector addition to determine relative velocity.
    • Explain the significance of the observer in the measurement of velocity.

Introduction to Two-Dimensional Kinematics

The arc of a basketball, the orbit of a satellite, a bicycle rounding a curve, a swimmer diving into a pool, blood gushing out of a wound, and a puppy chasing its tail are but a few examples of motions along curved paths. In fact, most motions in nature follow curved paths rather than straight lines. Motion along a curved path on a flat surface or a plane (such as that of a ball on a pool table or a skater on an ice rink) is two-dimensional, and thus described by two-dimensional kinematics. Motion not confined to a plane, such as a car following a winding mountain road, is described by three-dimensional kinematics. Both two- and three-dimensional kinematics are simple extensions of the one-dimensional kinematics developed for straight-line motion in the previous chapter. This simple extension will allow us to apply physics to many more situations, and it will also yield unexpected insights about nature.

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