Page 110 - College Physics For AP Courses

98 Chapter 3 | Two-Dimensional Kinematics
This chapter lays a necessary foundation for examining interactions of objects described by forces (Big Idea 3). Changes in direction result from acceleration, which necessitates force on an object. In this chapter, you will concentrate on describing motion that involves changes in direction. In later chapters, you will apply this understanding as you learn about how forces cause these motions (Enduring Understanding 3.A). The concepts in this chapter support:
Big Idea 3 The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.
Enduring Understanding 3.A All forces share certain common characteristics when considered by observers in inertial reference
frames.
Essential Knowledge 3.A.1 An observer in a particular reference frame can describe the motion of an object using such quantities as position, displacement, distance, velocity, speed, and acceleration.
3.1 Kinematics in Two Dimensions: An Introduction
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Observe that motion in two dimensions consists of horizontal and vertical components.
• Understand the independence of horizontal and vertical vectors in two-dimensional motion.
The information presented in this section supports the following AP® learning objectives and science practices:
• 3.A.1.1 The student is able to express the motion of an object using narrative, mathematical, and graphical representations. (S.P. 1.5, 2.1, 2.2)
• 3.A.1.2 The student is able to design an experimental investigation of the motion of an object. (S.P. 4.2)
• 3.A.1.3 The student is able to analyze experimental data describing the motion of an object and is able to express the
results of the analysis using narrative, mathematical, and graphical representations. (S.P. 5.1)
Figure 3.2 Walkers and drivers in a city like New York are rarely able to travel in straight lines to reach their destinations. Instead, they must follow roads and sidewalks, making two-dimensional, zigzagged paths. (credit: Margaret W. Carruthers)
Two-Dimensional Motion: Walking in a City
Suppose you want to walk from one point to another in a city with uniform square blocks, as pictured in Figure 3.3.
Figure 3.3 A pedestrian walks a two-dimensional path between two points in a city. In this scene, all blocks are square and are the same size. The straight-line path that a helicopter might fly is blocked to you as a pedestrian, and so you are forced to take a two-
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