KINEMATICS
INTRODUCTION
Physics
is basically an experimental science and rests on two pillars-Experiments and
mathematics. Two thousand three hundred years ago the Greek librarian
Eratosthenes measured the radius of the Earth. The size of the atom was
measured much later, only in the beginning of the 20th century. The central
aspect in physics is motion. Motion is found at all levels-from microscopic
level (within the atom) to macroscopic and galactic level (planetary system and
beyond). In short the entire Universe is governed by various types of motion.
The study of various types of motion is expressed using the language of
mathematics.
How
do objects move? How fast or slow do they move? For example, when ten athletes
run in a race, all of them do not run in the same manner. Their performance
cannot be qualitatively recorded by usage of words like ‘fastest’, ‘faster’,
‘average’, ‘slower’ or ‘slowest’. It has to be quantified. Quantifying means
assigning numbers to each athlete’s motion. Comparing these numbers one can
analyse how fast or slow each athlete runs when compared to others. In this
unit, the basic mathematics needed for analyzing motion in terms of its
direction and magnitude is covered.
Kinematics
is the branch of mechanics which deals with the motion of objects without
taking force into account. The Greek word “kinema” means “motion”.
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