Kinematics Refresher for Physics Majors

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In summary, the speaker is a junior in physics and has excelled in all their courses. However, they recently had an embarrassing experience when asked for help with basic kinematics problems by two freshmen. They realize they have forgotten some of the basic physics 101 kinematics concepts and are looking for a refresher. They mention that any of the following textbooks would be useful for this purpose: University Physics (Young & Freedman), Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Knight), or Fundamentals of Physics (Halliday & Resnick).
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jack476
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I'm a junior in physics, and I had a really embarrassing experience lately with some freshmen.

Basically, within the major I have earned straight A's in all my physics courses since freshman year, I'm the student body president of the physics majors, and I'm doing a summer REU at one of the best schools in the country for physics. And the two freshmen I was talking to, who were in physics 1 as a summer course at my main school, asked for help with some basic kinematics problems and I realized I barely remember anything from the course and I was helpless.

It's probably due to the fact that I have not taken any mechanics-related courses, so far I've only done the electromagnetism, modern physics, and optics sequences, but I really should know basic kinematics, especially because 1.) my pride was wounded and I felt dumb and 2.) I'm signed up for classical dynamics in the fall.

I'm not really looking for a full textbook on kinematics or mechanics, but just a primer or refresher on kinematics for someone who has taken advanced math and physics courses but has forgotten some of the basic physics 101 kinematics stuff.
 
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Any of the following textbooks would be of good use - all are calculus-based physics texts for engineering (will be basic for you). Volume 1 is all that you need. I used Knight to self-study for the AP Physics C exams and Young/Freedman was the textbook used for our calculus-based physics sequence in college. Both are real good and Halliday and Resnick also garnered really good review from peers who self-studied for the AP test.

University Physics (Young & Freedman) OR Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Knight) OR Fundamentals of Physics (Halliday & Resnick).
 

FAQ: Kinematics Refresher for Physics Majors

What is kinematics?

Kinematics is the study of motion, specifically the mathematical description of the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object.

What are the three basic kinematic equations?

The three basic kinematic equations are:
1. v = u + at (Final velocity = Initial velocity + Acceleration x Time)
2. s = ut + 1/2at^2 (Displacement = Initial velocity x Time + 1/2 x Acceleration x Time^2)
3. v^2 = u^2 + 2as (Final velocity^2 = Initial velocity^2 + 2 x Acceleration x Displacement)

What is the difference between distance and displacement?

Distance is the total length an object has traveled, while displacement is the straight-line distance between the starting and ending points of an object's motion.

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed is the rate at which an object is moving, while velocity is the speed and direction of an object's motion.

How is acceleration related to velocity and time?

Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. It can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time.

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