General Physics 1 - Scalars, Vectors, Kinematics, and Projectile Motion Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering scalar and vector quantities, kinematics, motion descriptors, uniform acceleration, free fall, and projectile motion based on lecture transcript content.

Scalar Quantity

A physical quantity that has magnitude (size or quantity) but no direction, such as temperature, mass, time, distance, speed, density, and volume.

Vector Quantity

A physical quantity that possesses both magnitude and direction, such as displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, weight, and momentum.

Magnitude

A property describing the overall quantity or size of a physical quantity.

Direction

A property describing how a vector is oriented relative to a reference point.

Parallel Vectors

Two or more vectors that point in the exact same direction.

Antiparallel Vectors

Two vectors that have opposite directions while possessing the same magnitude.

Resultant Vector

The total displacement or total vector ($R$) that results from adding two or more individual vectors.

Head-to-Tail Method

A graphical method of adding vectors by connecting the tail of each successive vector to the head or tip of the preceding vector.

Commutative Law of Vector Addition

The principle stating that the sum of vectors remains identical regardless of the order in which they are added ($R = \text{A} + \text{B} = \text{B} + \text{A}$).

Analytical Method of Vector Addition

A vector addition technique that uses trigonometric functions (sine and cosine) to calculate x- and y-components and the Pythagorean theorem to find resultant magnitude.

Motion

The change of position of an object in a specific span of time relative to an observer.

Time

A parameter necessary to describe and observe changes in space, representing when an event took place, measured in seconds ($s$).

Distance

A scalar quantity describing how far an object has traveled, equal to the total path length traveled by an object in motion.

Displacement

A vector quantity describing the length and direction of the straight line connecting an object's initial position to its final position.

Speed

A scalar quantity describing the rate of change in position within a span of time, measured in units of $m/s$.

Velocity

A vector quantity describing the rate of change in position with respect to a reference point, incorporating both speed and direction.

Acceleration

A vector quantity describing how an object changes its velocity per elapsed time, expressed in units of $m/s^2$.

Positive Acceleration

Acceleration that occurs when acceleration and velocity vectors share the same direction, indicating that the object is speeding up.

Negative Acceleration

Deceleration that occurs when acceleration and velocity vectors are in opposite directions, indicating that the object is slowing down.

Zero Acceleration

A state where an object is traveling at a constant velocity or is not moving at all.

Relative Nature of Motion

The concept that motion depends on the observer's frame of reference, meaning an object in motion relative to one observer may be stationary relative to another.

Average Velocity

The total rate of change of position of an object over a given time interval, calculated as $v_{\text{ave}} = \frac{\tan(x)}{t}$.

Instantaneous Velocity

The velocity of an object at a specific instant in time, calculated in calculus as the derivative of position with respect to time ($v_{\text{ins}} = \frac{dx}{dt}$).

Instantaneous Acceleration

The acceleration of an object at a specific instant in time, calculated in calculus as the derivative of velocity with respect to time ($a_{\text{ins}} = \frac{dv}{dt}$).

Uniformly Accelerated Linear Motion

Motion along a straight line where the object's velocity changes at a constant, fixed rate throughout the motion.

Free Fall Motion

The motion of an object falling under the sole influence of gravity in the absence of air resistance and other opposing forces.

Acceleration Due to Gravity

The constant downward acceleration experienced by objects near Earth's surface, denoted as $g$ and approximated as $-9.8\text{\thinspace}m/s^2$.

Projectile

Any object given an initial velocity that proceeds along a parabolic path influenced entirely by acceleration due to gravity and air resistance.

Trajectory

The parabolic path followed by a projectile in motion.

Launch Angle

The angle $\theta$ relative to the horizontal at which a projectile is launched, directly influencing its trajectory, height, range, and flight duration.

Maximum Height

The highest point ($H$) reached in a projectile's trajectory, occurring when the vertical velocity component ($v_y$) equals $0\text{\thinspace}m/s$.

Range

The total horizontal displacement ($R$) covered by a projectile during its entire flight.

Duration of Flight

The total elapsed time ($t$) that a projectile spends moving through the air along its trajectory.