All Flashcards
What is a reference frame?
The observer's point of view; crucial for determining how motion is perceived.
What is an inertial reference frame?
A reference frame that is not accelerating; it moves at a constant velocity or is at rest.
Define observed velocity.
The combination of an object's velocity and the velocity of the observer's reference frame.
What does relative motion describe?
The motion of an object as observed from a particular reference frame.
Define velocity relative to a reference frame.
The velocity of an object as measured by an observer in that specific reference frame.
What is the effect of changing reference frames on the measured direction and magnitude of quantities?
Changing reference frames can alter the perceived direction and size of measured quantities.
What is the effect of an object accelerating in one inertial frame on its acceleration in another inertial frame?
The object's acceleration remains the same in all inertial frames.
What is the effect of changing reference frames on measured velocity?
The measured velocity of an object changes depending on the reference frame.
What is the effect of a train moving east at 20 m/s on a person walking towards the back of the train at 2 m/s relative to the ground?
The person's velocity relative to an observer standing on the ground is 18 m/s east.
What happens to the observed velocity when a car moves at 60 km/h and a train moves at 80 km/h in the same direction?
The car's velocity relative to the train is -20 km/h (it appears to move backward).
What is the effect of the river flowing east at 3 m/s on a boat traveling north across a river at 5 m/s relative to the water?
The magnitude of the boat's velocity relative to an observer on the riverbank is m/s.
What is the effect of throwing a ball vertically upward inside a train that is moving horizontally at a constant velocity according to an observer on the train?
The ball's horizontal acceleration is zero.