Chapter 5 - MOTION IN A PLANE

Abstract

This chapter explains the principle of superposition as it applies to the vector quantities position, velocity, and acceleration. The principle of superposition permits one to analyze motion in a plane one component at a time, thus simplifying the task. The chapter describes the theory of uniformly accelerated motion. In uniform circular motion, the speed of a particle is constant but the direction of the velocity vector changes with time. Acceleration arises in particle motion if the velocity vector changes in either magnitude or direction. Both kinds of change are important. Another special type of acceleration occurs in uniform circular motion. If the speed varies in circular motion, there are changes in both the direction and the magnitude of the velocity. The particle travels on a circular path but speeds up and slows down as it moves.