Motion and Classical Mechanics

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes covering key concepts in motion and classical mechanics.

Classical Mechanics

A branch of physics that describes the motion of objects.

Position

The location of an object at a specific time, represented as a point in space.

Displacement

The change in position of an object, calculated as the difference between final and initial positions.

Velocity

The rate of change of position with respect to time; a vector quantity.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity with respect to time; also a vector quantity.

Instantaneous Velocity

The velocity of an object at a specific moment in time.

Average Velocity

The total displacement divided by the total time taken.

Derivative

A mathematical operation that determines the rate at which a quantity changes.

1D Motion

Motion that occurs along a single dimension.

2D Motion

Motion that occurs within a plane, involving two dimensions.

3D Motion

Motion that occurs in three-dimensional space.

Magnitude

The size or length of a vector irrespective of its direction.

Vector Quantity

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Coordinate Axes

The reference lines used to define the position of points in space.

Rate of Change

How a quantity changes over time, a central concept in calculus.

Physical Model

A mathematical representation that describes the motion of an object.

Slope of a Graph

The steepness of a graph, representing the rate of change of the corresponding physical quantity.