2D Kinematics Notes - Chapter 3 from Physics with Algebra

Rachael Murphy

12/15/2025

Physics

Chapter 3 Kinematics in 2D Notes

Subjects

Physics

Force, Mass, and Acceleration

Newton's Second Law of Motion

147

•

Dec 15, 2025

•

5 pages

2D Kinematics Notes - Chapter 3 from Physics with Algebra

Rachael Murphy

@writcha

Motion in multiple dimensions brings physics to life as we... Show more

1 / 5

3.1 Displacement
Av=√₂-₁ displacement vector
AV = (x₂-x₁) î+ (y₂-y₁) Ĵ + (2₂-2₁) k
i, j, k
= direction
Velocity in 3D
•Average Velocity
培
AE

Displacement and Velocity in 3D

Displacement in three dimensions is represented by a vector that points from your starting position to your final position. Mathematically, it's written as $\vec{\Delta r} = \vec{r}_2 - \vec{r}_1$ or broken down into components: $\vec{\Delta r} = (x_2 - x_1)\hat{i} + (y_2 - y_1)\hat{j} + (z_2 - z_1)\hat{k}$ .

When studying motion, we use two types of velocity. Average velocity is calculated as displacement divided by time: $\vec{v}_{avg} = \frac{\vec{\Delta r}}{\Delta t}$ . Instantaneous velocity gives us the velocity at any exact moment and is expressed as $\vec{v} = v_x\hat{i} + v_y\hat{j} + v_z\hat{k}$ .

Similarly, acceleration measures the rate of velocity change. Average acceleration is $\vec{a}_{avg} = \frac{\vec{\Delta v}}{\Delta t}$ , while instantaneous acceleration is the derivative of velocity with respect to time: $\vec{a} = \frac{dv_x}{dt}\hat{i} + \frac{dv_y}{dt}\hat{j} + \frac{dv_z}{dt}\hat{k}$ .

💡 The beauty of 3D motion is that we can analyze each dimension separately! The x, y, and z components of motion are independent of each other, making complex problems much more manageable.

Problem-Solving Strategy and Projectile Motion

When tackling motion problems, follow this powerful strategy: make a drawing, establish positive/negative directions, write down known values for each dimension, verify you have at least three kinematic variables, and select the appropriate equation. Remember that when motion has segments, the final velocity of one segment becomes the initial velocity for the next.

Projectile motion occurs when an object moves through a vertical plane with an initial velocity while experiencing constant free-fall acceleration. This motion combines horizontal movement (with constant velocity) and vertical movement (with acceleration due to gravity).

When an object is launched with initial velocity $v_0$ at angle $\theta$ , we can break this into components: $v_{ox} = v_0 \cos\theta$ and $v_{oy} = v_0 \sin\theta$ . The key insight is that horizontal and vertical motions are completely independent of each other.

🚀 Think of projectile motion like this: horizontally, the object moves as if there's no gravity, while vertically, it falls as if it were dropped from rest. This mental model makes visualizing complex trajectories much easier!

Solving Projectile Motion Problems

The genius of projectile motion analysis is that we can convert a 2D problem into two separate 1D problems. For horizontal motion, acceleration is zero ( $a_x = 0$ ), so velocity remains constant. For vertical motion, acceleration equals gravity ( $a_y = -9.80 m/s^2$ ).

To track a projectile's position, we use the standard kinematic equations for each direction. Horizontally: $x-x_0 = v_{ox}t$ or $x-x_0 = (v_0\cos\theta_0)t$ . Vertically: $y-y_0 = v_{oy}t - \frac{1}{2}gt^2$ or $y-y_0 = (v_0\sin\theta_0)t - \frac{1}{2}gt^2$ .

The path of a projectile forms a parabola, which we can express as $y = (tan\theta_0)x - \frac{gx^2}{2v_0^2\cos^2\theta_0}$ by eliminating time from our equations. This equation lets us determine the projectile's position at any point during its flight.

🎯 When you need to find the maximum range (horizontal distance) of a projectile, use $R = \frac{v_0^2}{g}\sin(2\theta_0)$ . You'll discover that a launch angle of exactly 45° maximizes this range when launching and landing at the same height!

Relative Motion

The way we measure position and velocity depends entirely on our frame of reference. When two observers (A and B) track an object (P), their measurements relate in specific ways that help us understand motion from different perspectives.

For motion along one dimension, the positions are related by $x_{PA} = x_{PB} + x_{BA}$ , where the subscripts indicate "as measured by." Taking the derivative of this equation gives us the relationship between velocities: $v_{PA} = v_{PB} + v_{BA}$ .

Interestingly, for non-accelerating reference frames, both observers will measure the same acceleration of the object: $a_{PA} = a_{PB}$ . This makes acceleration a more "universal" measurement than position or velocity.

🚗 Relative motion explains why a passenger in a car traveling at 60 mph sees a coffee cup on the dashboard as stationary, while someone standing on the roadside sees the same cup moving at 60 mph. Both observations are correct—they're just made from different reference frames!

Relative Motion in 2D

Relative motion principles extend naturally to two dimensions by using vectors instead of scalar quantities. The relationship between positions in different frames becomes $\vec{r}{PA} = \vec{r}{PB} + \vec{r}_{BA}$.

Similarly, velocities in different reference frames relate through vector addition: $\vec{v}{PA} = \vec{v}{PB} + \vec{v}_{BA}$. This powerful equation helps us solve problems involving objects moving in different directions.

For non-accelerating reference frames, the acceleration equation simplifies to $\vec{a}{PA} = \vec{a}{PB}$, meaning observers in different frames will measure the same acceleration. This consistency makes acceleration particularly useful in physics analysis.

🌍 Imagine watching a friend play catch on a moving train. You (standing on the platform) and another passenger (sitting on the train) will see completely different ball trajectories, yet you'll both calculate the same acceleration due to gravity. This illustrates how reference frames fundamentally change our perception of motion!

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Subjects

Physics

Force, Mass, and Acceleration

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Physics

•

147

•

Dec 15, 2025

•

5 pages

2D Kinematics Notes - Chapter 3 from Physics with Algebra

Rachael Murphy

@writcha

🌍 Imagine watching a friend play catch on a moving train. You (standing on the platform) and another passenger (sitting on the train) will see completely different ball trajectories, yet you'll both calculate the same acceleration due to gravity. This illustrates how reference frames fundamentally change our perception of motion!