Retired Physics Curriculum: 2 D Motion
For two dimensional motion, we did a lot of video analysis using LoggerPro. I am putting some videos here, but honestly it is easy to have the kids make their own videos on their phones and then they can analyze their own data. With projectile motion, we also Pasco's mini-launchers, which were quite nice.
Old Guy Reminiscing: 30 years ago I was excited to use a VHS machine, play back a video on the TV, put a clear overhead sheet on the TV and literally just trace over an object one frame at a time with a pen.
AP Physics (calculus)
This is a big unit, so I liked to break it up. The first half was a few days each of vectors, circular motion and then relative motion. The second half was focused on projectile motion. The biggest challenge for the kids is getting used to dealing with vectors.
There are some notes that were written up, so I am including those as well. As always, there are lot of problems and labs as well.
Objectives, reading, homework and equations for the unit.
Some basic notes on vectors. Probably too brief to be helpful learning it, but may be helpful for reviewing.
Just practice with the basic vector manipulation things: addition, subtraction, magnitude, direction and components. Really just a bunch of math problems.
Video analysis of a toy car moving in a straight line, but in a few diffeerent orientations. Goal is to relate components to the magnitudes, since the car always has the same speed.
Proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem, Law of Cosines and Law of Sines. I usually just post a printed version on a wall in the classroom.
Basic motion problems involving vectors. No circular or projectile in this. This is mostly to get the hang of the notation.
Geometric derivation of centripetal acceleration equation. It also includes a calculus derivation as well, but the kids often don't know the derivatives of trig functions yet.
Some simpler centripetal acceleration problems. Also has some rpm-m/s conversions.
Analyze the motion of an object moving in a circle with a constant speed using video analysis. This is usually our first video analysis lab, so it includes the steps for that in the directions.
More involved problems dealing with centripetal acceleration.
This is a qualitative lab to help the students visualize relative motion. Our old schedule had more time, and then I would have each class make their own videos, but now I just hand out some old videos to use.
For some reason I did a Powerpoint showing multiple ways to do a harder 2D relative motion problem.
Problems involving relative motion.
This is a big unit, so we usually did a test at this point, before we got into projectile motion.
Here is the projectile motion part of the unit.
Video analysis of a tossed ball.
Several problems involving projectile motion.
Practice using the equations conceptually (i.e. what happens if you double something?) It uses a nice simulation at https://ophysics.com/k8.html, which is from another retired physics teacher.
Experimentally and theoretically determine the maxmimum range for a projectile fired across level ground.
Derivation of the range equation and also finding the angle for the maximum range and the relationship between 2 angles that have the same range.
A conceptual sheet based on the paths of a variety of projectiles.
Challenge lab. Predict where a projectile will land - and then see if you are right. The key is the target I used.
Finding the angle that will give the maximum range for a projectile fired on a slope. This is just notes. I usually did this in class, and wanted the kids to focus on the ideas, so wrote it up.
Finding the angle that will give the maximum range for a projectile fired off a cliff. This is just notes. I usually did not do this out in class, but would mention it and post it on the wall for those who wanted a harder problem.
Here are the practice tests for projectile motion.
Physics (algebra)
We first did a little unit on vectors. Years ago we didn't use trig at all in this class, but eventually we added basic right triangle trig, but only for the students to be able to find the components of a vector given the magnitude and direction.
This is an introduction to vectors. It has some notes, but mostly guides students through the
Vector Addition simulation so they can figure out the basic rules involved with vectors and their components and addition.
These are word problems dealing with constant velocities at an angle. It combines the classic "v=d/t" relationship with position and velocity vectors and their components.
These problems deal with velocity addition as in trying to cross a river or a plane flying in the air.
As the name implies, the review sheet before the assessment.
Right after the assessment on vectors, we went into projectile motion. At this level, we typically only dealt with projectiles with an initial vertical velocity of 0 (which we called "cliff problems") and then projectiles fired across level ground. We did not deal with projectiles that landed higher or lower than their original position.
Just some practice problems to review the kinematics equations before we start projectiles.
This was an open-ended lab that we used as in introduction to projectile motion. I had made a video (not very well, but it works) showing a few different balls being rolled across a horizontal track with different speed and then going off the edge and falling to the ground.
A quantitative lab analyzing a ball rolling along a horizontal track and then falling off the edge.
Initial projectile questions in which the initial vertical velocity is always zero.
Just some more cliff problems, in case the name confused you.
Video analysis of a ball tossed up and at an angle.
This is a combination of conceptual thinking and calculation - hopefully it helps the students see some of the patterns in probjectile motion.
The key ideas and equations for doing these projectile motion problems.
These problems all involve going up and down - but the initial and final projectile heights are always the saem.
The review sheet and answer key.
In this level of physics, we did circular motion at the end of mechanics, just before universal gravitation. I am putting the files here becasue they fit better. The later handouts do involve Newton's Laws though.
One of my few Powerpoint slides that I used in class.
Hopefully straight forward problems looking at period and frequency and also unit conversions.
Problems looking at speed, distance and time when going around in a circle. Really just applications of "v=d/t".
Some quick conceptual questions and then initial problems with centripetal acceleration.
Harder problems with centripetal acceleration. Also includes some unit conversion.
Circular motion problems, but finally including forces.
Guided questions looking at the forces involved for objects moving in a vertical circle - including the conditions for maximum or minimum speeds. There is no separate answer key, but the answers are at the end of the sheet.
In this class, we had already done energy, so this lab analyzes a loop the loop with Hot Wheels.
Review sheet before the assessment.
page last updated 10/5/23 by david mcclung, copyright 2023, all rights reserved.