Understanding Translational and Rotational Motion

distance

how much ground an object has covered, regardless of is destination

displacement

measures how far and in what direction an object is from its start point

velocity

a vector because it tells you how fast and in which direction something moves

scalar

• magnitude only

• does not have direction

• specified by a number and a unit

• represented by quantity symbol

vector

• has both magnitude and direction

meter (m)

the si unit for both distance and displacement

acceleration

the rate at which an objects velocity changes over time

centripetal acceleration

the idea that any object moving in a circle, in something called circular motion, willl have an acceleration vector pointed towards the center of that circle

motion

• one of the very first things people noticed in the world around them

translational motion

how an object moves in a straight line or across a flat surface

• all parts of the object move the same distance, in the same direction, and at the same time

rotational motion

how an object turns or spins around an axis

linear displacement

refers to the change of position of an object

linear velocity

refers to the rate at which an object changes its position

linear acceleration

refers to the rate at which an object’s velocity changes with respect to time

angular displacement

refers to the angle made by a body while moving in a circular path

angular velocity

refers to how fast an object rotates ir revolves relative to another point

angular acceleration

refers to the rate with which angular velocity changes with time