Kinematics: motion problems solved with visible reasoning
Kinematics is five equations and one decision: which quantity is missing. Noeta trains that decision, then reviews it days later.
What this covers
- Displacement, velocity, acceleration
- The SUVAT equations
- Motion graphs and their gradients
- Free fall
- Projectile motion in two dimensions
Worked example
Problem
A car accelerates from rest at 3 m/s² for 8 s. How far does it travel?
- 1List the knownsu = 0, a = 3 m/s², t = 8 s, s = ?
- 2Choose the equations = ut + ½at² uses exactly those variables.
- 3Substitutes = 0 + ½ × 3 × 8² = ½ × 3 × 64.
Answer: 96 metres
Mistakes that cost marks
- Using a SUVAT equation when acceleration is not constant.
- Mixing horizontal and vertical components in projectile problems.
- Forgetting that g acts downward, so signs matter.
Questions students ask
How do I choose the right SUVAT equation?
Write down the four known quantities and the unknown; exactly one equation omits the variable you do not have.
Practise mechanics until it sticks
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