AP Physics 1 kinematics and Newton's laws concepts explained conceptually, separate from the formula deck.
38 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- Difference between displacement and distance
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Displacement is straight-line distance from start to end (vector); distance is total path length traveled (scalar).- Velocity vs speed
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Speed is how fast; velocity is how fast plus direction.- What does acceleration measure?
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Rate of change of velocity over time, including changes in speed or direction.- Can an object have zero velocity but nonzero acceleration?
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Yes; at the top of a throw, velocity is zero but gravity still accelerates downward.- Can an object accelerate while moving at constant speed?
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Yes; if direction changes, such as circular motion at constant speed.- What characterizes free fall?
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An object falling under gravity alone, experiencing constant downward acceleration of about 9.8 m/s squared.- Key feature of projectile motion
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Horizontal and vertical components are independent: horizontal velocity stays constant while vertical velocity changes due to gravity.- Newton's first law of motion
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An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion at constant velocity unless a net force acts on it.- What is inertia?
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The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion; more massive objects have greater inertia.- Newton's second law conceptually
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The net force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration; greater forces or less mass produce greater accelerations.- Newton's third law
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For every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force acting on a different object.- What is a net force?
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The vector sum of all forces acting on an object; determines the object's acceleration.- What is the normal force?
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The contact force exerted by a surface on an object, perpendicular to the surface.- What causes friction?
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Microscopic interactions between surfaces in contact; always opposes relative motion or potential motion.- Why does a person lurch forward in a decelerating car?
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Inertia; the person tends to maintain constant velocity while the car slows, creating relative forward motion.
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