PREFACE The intention of this course is to cover all of the major topics one would learn in a typical college physics course. Physics is the study of the physical attributes of matter and energy. Matter can consist of small particles and large objects—as small as subatomic particles or as large as planetary bodies and other celestial bodies. Regardless of size, everything must follow specific physical laws and principles, which will be uncovered by you as you study the material in this course. There are also mathematical aspects of the nature, applicable forces, and seemingly invisible energies involved in physical structures that will be clearly explained as part of this course. While there is mathematics involved in the study of physics, the topics we will cover can be understood in both mathematical and nonmathematical ways. Chapter one in the course introduces the subject of kinematics, which is the study of the motion of objects without regard to the objects’ masses and without the consideration of the particular forces that may have caused the movement of the objects. Objects are always in motion—even if they do not appear to move as there is the continuous vibrations of molecules and atoms that make up the object. In this chapter, we will look at the basics of movement, including velocity, acceleration, and the acceleration of a body that is free-falling on earth. The focus of chapter two is the motion of an object in two dimensions. Many things do not simply go in a straight line or in an up-and- down fashion. These include celestial objects in orbit, automobiles that travel around a curve, and the arcing of a ball. There are different equations and different vectors that apply to these types of movements, which need to be studied and memorized. Three-dimensional kinematics is very similar to two-dimensional kinematics, except that the x, y, and z axes are part of this discussion. All of the same physics principles you will learn in the course apply to motion in more than one direction, allowing for more types of situations involving the motion of objects to become solvable.
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