Motion and vectors
What students will learn
Describe the same motion with signed vectors, graphs, equations, and a stated reference frame.
Before this topic
- Signed numbers and units
- Reading slopes and areas on graphs
- Right triangles and basic trigonometry
Read and connect
Read: Scalars and Vectors in One Dimension →
Distinguish distance from displacement and draw one-dimensional vectors on a scale.
Read: Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration →
Connect position, elapsed time, velocity, and acceleration without confusing their signs.
Read: Representing Motion →
Translate among motion diagrams, equations, graph slopes, and signed graph areas.
Read: Reference Frames and Relative Motion →
Compare measurements made by observers moving at different constant velocities.
Read: Vectors and Motion in Two Dimensions →
Resolve motion into components and use one shared time for a projectile.
Check understanding
Use the complete prompt to make student reasoning visible, then consult the separate worked reasoning and criteria. A reading completion tick records reading history.
Sketch a falling ball with drag →
Create consistent velocity and acceleration graphs and explain why constant acceleration fails.
This is qualitative variable-acceleration reasoning; numerical variable-acceleration calculations are outside this task.
Choose a graph for projectile range →
Derive the height dependence for a horizontal launch and identify a useful linearized graph.
Standards and earlier reading lists
These topic placements organize reading. Edition-qualified Standards mappings and the existing complete unit task sets retain their reviewed scope.