Chapter 2

What area of physics involves the study of objects moving at relatively low speeds?

What is necessary to designate the position of an object?

Distinguish between distance and displacement. How are these quantities associated with speed and velocity?

How is average speed analogous to an average class grade?

What changes when there is acceleration? Give an example.

Might the steering wheel of a car be classified as an "accelerator"? Explain.

Does a negative acceleration always mean that an object is slowing down? Explain.

A ball is dropped. What is its initial speed? What is its initial acceleration?

A vertically projected object has zero velocity at its maximum height, but the acceleration is not zero. If it were what would this imply?

Can a car be moving at a constant speed of \(60 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{h}\) and still be accelerating? Explain.

What does the term centripetal mean?

What is the direction of the acceleration vector of a person on the spinning Earth if the person is (a) at the equator? (b) at some other latitude? (c) at the poles?

For projectile motion, what quantities are constant? (Neglect ain resistance.)

Can a baseball pitcher throw a fastball in a straight, horizontal line? Why or why not?

Why does a basketball player driving in and jumping for a "slam dunk" appear to hang in the air at the maximum height of the jump?