Kinematics

Motion has a mathematical structure, and this unit forces you to see it through calculus rather than formulas. Velocity is not a number you read off an equation; it is dv/dt, a rate your hand must compute from a position function. Acceleration is d²x/dt², and when you integrate backward from acceleration, you recover velocity and position with constants of integration that carry physical meaning. Vectors are objects you must decompose, add, and resolve in two or three dimensions simultaneously. Every technique here is one you will use every single time you write F = ma in Unit 2.

10–15% of exam