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MassachusettsPhysics

Module 1: Kinematics and motion

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are position, how fast something moves, and how quickly its motion changes defined and related?

Define and calculate displacement, average velocity, and acceleration, and distinguish each from the everyday words distance and speed (MA STE Introductory Physics, Motion and Forces).
A standard-level answer on displacement, velocity, and acceleration for the Massachusetts High School Introductory Physics MCAS: the definitions, the formulas from the reference sheet, the difference from distance and speed, and how to calculate each with units.
12 min answer →

How do objects move when gravity is the only force acting, and why do a heavy and a light object fall together?

Analyze free fall as motion with constant acceleration g, using the kinematic equations to find fall time, speed, or height, and explain why mass does not affect the rate of fall (MA STE Introductory Physics, Motion and Forces).
A standard-level answer on free fall for the Massachusetts High School Introductory Physics MCAS: gravity as a constant acceleration, using the kinematic equations for falling objects, and why all objects fall at the same rate when air resistance is ignored.
12 min answer →

How do position-time and velocity-time graphs encode motion, and what do their slopes and areas tell you?

Interpret and sketch position-time and velocity-time graphs, reading slope as velocity or acceleration and area under a velocity-time graph as displacement (MA STE Introductory Physics, Motion and Forces).
A standard-level answer on motion graphs for the Massachusetts High School Introductory Physics MCAS: how to read position-time and velocity-time graphs, what slope and area mean, and how to sketch the motion they describe.
12 min answer →

How can the horizontal and vertical parts of a projectile's motion be treated separately to explain its curved path?

Describe projectile motion as independent horizontal (constant velocity) and vertical (free fall) motions, and explain why a horizontally launched and a dropped object reach the ground together (MA STE Introductory Physics, Motion and Forces).
A standard-level answer on projectile motion for the Massachusetts High School Introductory Physics MCAS: separating horizontal and vertical motion, why the vertical motion is free fall, and why horizontal velocity does not change the fall time.
12 min answer →

How do physicists describe how things move using measured quantities, and why does direction matter for some of them but not others?

Distinguish scalar from vector quantities, use SI units and the metric prefixes, and convert measurements before substituting them into an equation (MA STE Introductory Physics, Motion and Forces).
A standard-level answer on scalars, vectors, and units for the Massachusetts High School Introductory Physics MCAS: which quantities carry direction, how to use SI units and metric prefixes, and why unit conversion comes before any calculation.
11 min answer →

How can the equations of constant acceleration predict where a moving object will be and how fast it will be going?

Use the constant-acceleration (kinematic) equations from the reference sheet to solve for an unknown displacement, velocity, acceleration, or time in straight-line motion (MA STE Introductory Physics, Motion and Forces).
A standard-level answer on the kinematic equations for the Massachusetts High School Introductory Physics MCAS: the constant-acceleration relationships on the reference sheet, how to pick the right one, and how to solve for displacement, velocity, acceleration, or time.
13 min answer →