kinematics

A-Math: Kinematics Vocabulary List on Displacement, Velocity & Acceleration (Includes a printable note)

Many students don't like the topic in A-Math known as 'Kinematics'. My guess is that it is linked closely to Physics which is a subject not favourited by many too.

To be able to understand Kinematics, I always get my students to be familiar with what I call a 'Kinematics Vocabulary List'. [Click here to download a printable note]

I hope you find this list useful. I would like to hear from you how you find Kinematics in Differentiation & Integration. Do you like it or dislike it? Leave me a comment.

$A-Math-KinematicsVocabList$

A-Math: Kinematics Step by Step Solution (Strategy To Answer Distance Question Correctly)

In the previous post on the typical questions on Kinematics, I am going to show up the step by step solution to answer a typical Kinematics exam question taken from my A-Math TREQ Book.

Things to take note:

How to get the acceleration equation?
What does it mean by 'momentarily at rest' ?
How to find greatest velocity?
*How to find distance accurately (using a diagram, I called it DD-Diagram; Displacement Distance Diagram)

Every year and in almost every paper, you will be asked to find Distance. The examiners are testing on your understanding of displacement, displacement, momentarily at rest. You must learn how to find it accurately and within the shortest period of time.

Learn from this example well!

(click on the image for a bigger view)

A-Math: Differentiation & Integration Application : Examples of Typical Kinematics Questions

I was looking through 2008 GCE O Level Additional Mathematics Exam Papers (Subject Code: 4038) and as expected, there was a Kinematics question (worth 6 marks) in Paper 1.

Kinematics is a application topic for Differentiation and Integration. To master this topic, you do not necessarily need to bring in your physics knowledge though it could be useful at times.

Instead, how I get my students to be a master in this topic is to be familiarize with a KINEMATICS VOCABULARY LIST.

Here's some of the vocabulary words that are useful and common:

Momentarily at rest, instantaneously at rest, changes direction of motion, stationary
Initial displacement, initial velocity, initial acceleration
Greatest displacement, greatest velocity, greatest acceleration
Distance travelled in the 4th second VS Distance travelled in the first 4 seconds
Maximum distance from Point O
Particle returns to Point O
Constant Velocity

I would say for Kinematics, it is one of the few topics in A-Math which uses extensive vocabulary. This is also the reason for you to decipher the meaning behind these words.

So do you know the meaning behind these words? I would love to hear about it in the comments section.

I have also taken a few questions from my A-Math TREQ book (Topical Real Exam Questions) to illustrate some common exam questions on Kinematics, further highlighting the importance of knowing your Kinematics well. (Click on the image for bigger view)

I would be sharing the step by step solutions for Question 8 in the next post. Subscribe to my blog to be updated again!