Solving problems is an essential part of the understanding process.
This interactive activity from the NOVA Web site samples Galileo's experiments with falling objects, projectiles, inclined planes, and pendulums.
Most students will have an intuitive sense that kinetic energy depends on how fast something is moving (speed) and how massive it is (mass). (We use speed instead of velocity, because energy is a scalar, and independent of direction.) They know that it hurts more in dodge ball when the ball is thrown with more speed than when it is thrown with less speed. They also know that is hurts more to drop a bowling ball on their foot than it does to drop a tennis ball. Exactly how mass, speed and kinetic energy are related is the purpose of this lab. Which is more important in determining kinetic energy? mass or speed? or are they of the same importance?
Kinematics and dynamics are presented here in multimedia, at introductory and also at deeper levels. Individual video clips and animations are suitable for use by teachers, while students may use the whole package for self instruction or for reference.
This 10-minute video lesson sets up the problem to determine the minimum velocity to hit a ball with to clear the Green Monster. [Physics playlist: Lesson 33 of 164].
This 10-minute video lessons demonstrates another way to determine time in the air given an initial vertical velocity. [Physics playlist: Lesson 26 of 164].
This 12-minute video lesson solves the problem to determine the minimum velocity to hit a ball with to clear the Green Monster. [Physics playlist: Lesson 34 of 164].
This 15-minute video lesson presents a more complicated example of how to determine time in air which involves launching and landing at different elevations. [Physics playlist: Lesson 27 of 164].
This 6-minute video is the first of in a series of four videos which look at the optimal angle for a projectile. [Physics playlist: Lesson 35 of 164].
This 4-minute video is the second of in a series of four videos which look at the optimal angle for a projectile. [Physics playlist: Lesson 36 of 164].
This 3-minute video is the third of in a series of four videos which look at the optimal angle for a projectile. It examines the horizontal distance as a function of angle (and speed). [Physics playlist: Lesson 37 of 164].
This 11-minute video lesson is the final of four videos which look at the optimal angle for a projectile. [Physics playlist: Lesson 38 of 164].
This 10-minute video lesson uses the equations of motion to figure out things about falling objects. [Physics playlist: Lesson 73 of 164].
This 9-minute video lesson looks at a derivation of a new motion equation. [Physics playlist: Lesson 74 of 164].
This 9-minute video lesson presents an example of solving for the final velocity when you know the change in distance, time, initial velocity, and acceleration. [Physics playlist: Lesson 75 of 164].
This 9-minute video lesson looks at how to solve for time when you are given the change in distance, acceleration, and initial velocity. [Physics playlist: Lesson 76 of 164].
This 10-minute video lesson examines this question: How fast was the ball that you threw upwards? [Physics playlist: Lesson 77 of 164].
This 10-minute video lesson solves the second part to the projectile motion problem (with wind gust) using ordered set vector notation. [Physics playlist: Lesson 72 of 164].
This 10-minute video lectures demonstrates how to determine the position vector as a function of time. [Physics playlist: Lesson 70 of 164].
This 9-minute video lesson continues the discussion of projectile motion with unit vectors. It examines whether the ball can clear the wall. [Physics playlist: Lesson 71 of 164].
