S1 Space and Time
Motivation
Physics deals with the sequence of events that make up the unfolding story of the universe. The most basic questions we can ask about ‘events’ are ‘where?’ and ‘when’. Thus Space and Time are the key concepts of physics. In this section we explore the classical view of Space and Time developed by Galileo and Newton, and touch on its failures, unearthed by Einstein.Objectives
By the end of this section you should:
- be familiar with the key concepts of kinematics, and their geometrical significance
- be competent in the use of vectors in describing 1D and 2D motion
- know and be able to apply the equations describing motion at constant acceleration and motion in a circle at constant speed
- know the Galilean description of relative motion and be aware of its limitations