Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can describe an observer’s reference frame by its origin, axes and motion, and say which frame each measurement in a problem belongs to. (Guide: “What a reference frame is”; Practice Q3)
- I can explain, with an example, why two observers can report different sizes and directions for the same velocity and both be right. (Guide: “One dimension first”; Practice Q7(b))
- I can say what makes a frame inertial, and recognise when a problem’s frame is not. (Guide: “Inertial frames and the boundary”; Practice Q5(d))
Calculation
- I can convert a one-dimensional velocity between frames using v_PA = v_PB + v_BA and v_BA = −v_AB, with correct signs. (Guide: “One dimension first”; Practice Q1)
- I can add non-parallel velocities by components and give the result as a magnitude and a direction. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q3)
- I can find the heading needed to cross a current or wind along a chosen line, and the time it takes. (Guide: Worked example 1(b); Practice Q4)
- I can transform a position function x(t) into a moving frame and differentiate it to find velocity and acceleration there. (Guide: “Converting measurements between frames”; Practice Q2, Q5)
- I can find when, and how far apart, two objects are using an integral of their relative velocity. (Practice Q6)
Reasoning
- I can show by differentiating r_PA = r_PB + r_BA that inertial observers measure the same acceleration. (Guide: “Converting measurements between frames”; Practice Q5(c))
- I can compare a motion in two frames, saying which quantities agree (acceleration, time) and which differ (velocity, displacement, path). (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q7)
- I can draw a labelled vector triangle that shows a relative-velocity sum. (Guide: Figure 2; Practice Q4, sketched before you calculate)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 1.5, Motion in Two or Three Dimensions, or return to the course roadmap.