1.1 Intro to position measurements

Greetings, future physicists!

If you have ever seen or been involved in a construction project, you will know that the first couple steps are actually kind of boring.  Usually, there's a bunch of wooden sticks with red flags put around to mark out the location of the foundation, and then a lot of digging happens.  Concrete forms are put in place, and a foundation is poured and hardens.  It's only after all that work is done that you can start seeing the structure rise up.

It's a big mess and there's not much to look at. 

The stuff we're about to do is a lot like that foundation.  It's not very interesting, to be honest, and it's going to take some work to put in place.  However, just like the foundation of a building, everything you build goes on top of this structure, so it's best to do it right.

The course is built on units, and each unit contains a number of modules. The numbering is pretty predictable. You are currently looking at unit 1, module 1 so the page number is 1.1. In general, each module is a chunk of information that you should know before moving on. For the first couple modules, I will provide some guidance in bold italics.  You will get used to the framework quickly.

Every module will start with some version of "what you will learn" or “key ideas.”

What you will learn in this unit:

• 1.1 Introduction.  (You're already there)

• 1.2:  Frames of reference, position, and displacement

• 1.3:  Velocity and Speed and equations of motion

• 1.4:  Acceleration

• 1.5:  Constant acceleration and the equations that go with it.

• 1.6:  Free fall:  a special case of constant acceleration

Every unit will contain textbook references to OpenStax College Physics 2e.

Textbook Reference: All of Chapter 2

Typically, I will start with the key ideas and textbook references, and then go on to some writing like this. The written material is a cleaned up version of my own lecture notes, and it is meant to complement the textbook. I don’t pretend to give you an exhaustive review in the written stuff, so you will need to read the textbook as well. However, I will try to hit the highlights and show you some of the pitfalls.

Most modules end with some form of to-do list. If you were actually in my class, this would form your homework assignment. You aren’t in my class, so feel free to do or not to do — just understand that you really need to practice this stuff in order to learn it!

To do: Nothing. This is the introduction.