Khan Academy on a Stick
One-dimensional motion
In this tutorial we begin to explore ideas of velocity and acceleration. We do exciting things like throw things off of cliffs (far safer on paper than in real life) and see how high a ball will fly in the air.
-
Introduction to vectors and scalars
Distance, displacement, speed and velocity. Difference between vectors and scalars
-
Calculating average velocity or speed
Example of calculating speed and velocity
-
Solving for time
Simple example of solving for time given distance and rate
-
Displacement from time and velocity example
Worked example of calculating displacement from time and velocity
Displacement, velocity and time
This tutorial is the backbone of your understanding of kinematics (i.e., the motion of objects). You might already know that distance = rate x time. This tutorial essentially reviews that idea with a vector lens (we introduce you to vectors here as well). So strap your belts (actually this might not be necessary since we don't plan on decelerating in this tutorial) and prepare for a gentle ride of foundational physics knowledge.
-
Acceleration
Calculating the acceleration of a Porsche
-
Airbus A380 take-off time
Figuring how long it takes an a380 to take off given a constant acceleration
-
Airbus A380 take-off distance
How long of a runway does an A380 need?
-
Why distance is area under velocity-time line
Understanding why distance is area under velocity-time line
Acceleration
In a world full of unbalanced forces (which you learn more about when you study Newton's laws), you will have acceleration (which is the rate in change of velocity). Whether you're thinking about how fast a Porsche can get to 60mph or how long it takes for a passenger plane to get to the necessary speed for flight, this tutorial will help.
-
Average velocity for constant acceleration
Calculating average velocity when acceleration is constant
-
Acceleration of aircraft carrier takeoff
Using what we know about takeoff velocity and runway length to determine acceleration
-
Deriving displacement as a function of time, acceleration, and initial velocity
Deriving displacement as a function of time, constant acceleration and initial velocity
-
Plotting projectile displacement, acceleration, and velocity
Plotting projectile displacement, acceleration, and velocity as a function to change in time
-
Projectile height given time
Figuring out how high a ball gets given how long it spends in the air
-
Deriving max projectile displacement given time
Deriving a formula for maximum projectile displacement as a function of elapsed time
-
Impact velocity from given height
Determining how fast something will be traveling upon impact when it is released from a given height
-
Viewing g as the value of Earth's gravitational field near the surface
Viewing g as the value of Earth's gravitational field near the surface rather than the acceleration due to gravity near Earth's surface for an object in freefall
Kinematic formulas and projectile motion
We don't believe in memorizing formulas and neither should you (unless you want to live your life as a shadow of your true potential). This tutorial builds on what we know about displacement, velocity and acceleration to solve problems in kinematics (including projectile motion problems). Along the way, we derive (and re-derive) some of the classic formulas that you might see in your physics book.
-
Projectile motion (part 1)
Using the equations of motion to figure out things about falling objects
-
Projectile motion (part 2)
A derivation of a new motion equation
-
Projectile motion (part 3)
An example of solving for the final velocity when you know the change in distance, time, initial velocity, and acceleration
-
Projectile motion (part 4)
Solving for time when you are given the change in distance, acceleration, and initial velocity
-
Projectile motion (part 5)
How fast was the ball that you threw upwards?
Old videos on projectile motion
This tutorial has some of the old videos that Sal first did around 2007. This content is covered elsewhere, but some folks like the raw (and masculine) simplicity of these first lessons (Sal added the bit about "masculine").