AP Physics 1 Facts

to determine how fast an object is moving

look at steepness (i.e. slope) of position-time graph

position-time slope like a front slash / means

the object is moving away from detector

position-time slope like a back slash \ means

the object is moving towards the detector

instantaneous velocity is found by

taking slope of tangent line to position-time graph

to determine how far from detector object is located

look at vertical axis of position-time graph

displacement indicates

how far an object ends up from initial position, regardless of total distance travelled

average velocity is

displacement divided by time interval over which displacement occurred

instantaneous velocity is

how fast an object is moving at specific moment in time

to determine how fast object is moving

look at vertical axis of velocity-time graph

when object is moving away from detector

velocity-time graph is above horizontal axis

when object is moving towards detector

velocity-time graph is below horizontal axis

to determine how far object travels

find area between velocity-time graph and horizontal axis

on velocity-time graph it is not possible to

determine how far from detector object is located

most everyday motion can be represented with

straight segments on velocity-time graph

slope of velocity-time graph represents

acceleration

acceleration tells

how much object’s speed changes in one second

when object speeds up

its acceleration is in direction of motion

when object slows down

its acceleration is in opposite direction of motion

objects in free fall

gain/lose 10 m/s of speed every second

not technically a fact but def remember

negative acceleration IS NOT slowing down

when object is moving at steady speed v

displacement given by Δx = vt

where: Δx means displacement & t means time

when object starts at rest and speeds up or when objects slows down to a stop

displacement given by either: Δx = ½at² or Δx = v²/2a

object is in equilibrium if it is

this includes

moving in a straight line at constant speed.

an object at rest

forces acting on an object in equilibrium are

balanced

force is a

push/pull that acts on an object

force is measured with

springe scale or platform scale

units of force are

Newtons (N)

mass tells

how much material is contained in an object

units of mass are

kilograms (kg)

weight is the force of

planet acting on an object

On earth’s surface, gravitational field is

10 Newtons per kilogram (N/kg)

On Earth, 1 kg of mass = 10 N

normal force is force of

surface on object in contact with that surface

normal force acts

perpendicular to surface

platform scale reads

normal force

any diagonal force can be written in terms of

two perpendicular force components, called the x- and y-components

when angle θ of diagonal force is measured from horizontal:

• horizontal component of force is magnitude of force times cosθ

• vertical component of force is magnitude of force times sinθ

for all forces other than force of earth

objects must be in contact in order to experience a force

object’s acceleration is in direction in which

forces are unbalanced

net force is another name for

unbalanced force

unbalanced force is

in direction of acceleration

js a free formula idk why

a = f_net/m