AP Physics 1

Unit 1

There are two main types of measurements

1. Scalar

• Quantity with magnitude only, like size

• Mass

• Speed m/s: The distance an object travels over time

• Tempurature

• Humidity

• Pressure

• Time

2. Vector

• Quantities with both magnitude and direction

• Velocity: How quickly position changes ∆x (displacement)/∆t (change in time); instantaneous velocity is the change in velocity over one specific moment

• Force

• Acceleration: change in velocity over change in time; an object can accelerate in either ∆magnitude or ∆direction

• Position: Where something is located in space, symbol x with an arrow. Position is always a vector

• Displacement: A change in position, signified with a delta ∆ for “change of,” so putting a delta in front of the position symbol of x with an arrow means change of position x-x₀

Vectors will have an arrow symbol written above them

1D motion

Velocity is the slope of an x-t graph

+ or - is enough to tell you direction

Magnitude is the value

2D Motion

2D motion is where horizontal motion is not accelerating a_x=0 and vertical motion is accelerating in free fall: a_y = g = -9.81 m/s²

Change in |v²|=|v_x²|+|v_y²|, find theta through SOH-CAH-TOA