1 & 2-D Motion VCE Physics Unit 3

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VCE PHYSICS Unit 3 Study Guide

(Ref: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/physics/physicsd.pdf)

Core:Motion

NEWTON'S LAWS

• Apply Newton’s three laws of motion in situations where two or more coplanar forces act along a straight line and in two dimensions;

CIRCULAR MOTION

• Analyse the uniform circular motion of an object moving in a horizontal plane 

(Fnet= mv2/R) eg; A vehicle moving around a circular road; a vehicle moving around a banked track; an object on the end of a string;

• Apply Newton’s second law to circular motion in a vertical plane; consider forces at the highest 

and lowest positions only;

PROJECTILES

• Investigate and analyse the motion of projectiles near Earth’s surface including a qualitative 

description of the effects of air resistance;

ENERGY , MOMENTUM, IMPULSE

• Apply laws of energy and momentum conservation in isolated systems; 

• Analyse impulse (momentum transfer) in an isolated system, for collisions between objects moving in a straight line (F∆t = m∆v);

• Apply the concept of work done by a constant force

– work done = constant force × distance moved in direction of net force

– work done = area under force-distance graph;

• analyse transformations of energy between: kinetic energy; strain potential energy; gravitational potential energy; and energy dissipated to the environment considered as a combination of heat, sound and deformation of material

– kinetic energy, i.e. ½mv2

 --Elastic and inelastic collisions in terms of conservation of kinetic energy

– strain potential energy, i.e. area under force-distance graph including ideal springs obeying 

Hooke’s Law, ½kx2

– gravitational potential energy, i.e mg∆h or from area under force-distance graph and area under 

field-distance graph multiplied by mass;





GRAVITY, Circular motion of planets and astronomical Objects

• Apply gravitational field and gravitational force concepts, g = GM/r2

 and F = GM1M2/r2

• Apply the concepts of weight (W=mg), apparent weight (reaction force, N), weightlessness (W=0) 

and apparent weightlessness (N=0);

• Model satellite motion  (artificial, moon, planet) as uniform circular orbital motion 

•Identify and apply safe and responsible practices when working with moving objects and equipment in investigations of motion.

Vectors:
Vectors have both the magnitude and direction. An arrow can be used to represent a vector. The relative size of an arrow would indicates the relative magnitude of the vector.


Adding Subtracting Vectors;
Use the Head to -Tail  Rule when making vector diagrams.
Eg: If a car travels in northern direction at a velocity 75 km/hr and turn to east at 55 km/hr. Find the change in velocity of the car.

Questions & Answers:
Circular Motion

Ex 1. Two spheres of equal mass are attached to a light rod of negligible mass of length 3.0 m as shown in the figure below. The spheres and the rod are whirled around in a horizontal circle about the point O at a constant rate.