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Classical Mechanics
Foundations & Vectors
01SI Units and the Constants That Define Them02Defining the Second and the Meter03Redefining the Kilogram via Planck's Constant04Defining SI Units from Fixed Constants05Radians, Steradians & Small Angles06Dimensional Analysis: M, L, and T07Deriving Laws from Dimensions08Fermi EstimationProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
01Vector Addition and Scalar Multiplication02Cartesian and Cylindrical Coordinates03Vector Components in Cartesian Coordinates04Solving Vector Problems with Components05Vector Components Under Coordinate Rotation06The Cross Product07The Cross Product FormulaProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
Kinematics
01Position, Time Intervals, and Displacement02Instantaneous Velocity and the Derivative03Acceleration as the Second Derivative04Kinematic Equations from Graph Areas05Integration and the Fundamental Theorem06Polynomial and Piecewise AccelerationProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/4Practice∞
01Independent Motion Along x and y Axes02Setting Up a Projectile Motion Problem03Time of Flight and Maximum Height04Eliminating Time to Find the Parabola05Aim Straight at the Falling BucketProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
01Centripetal Acceleration and Central Motion02Polar Unit Vectors and the Velocity of Circular Motion03Deriving v = rω from Chord Length and Small Angles04Radial and Tangential Acceleration in Polar Coordinates05Uniform Circular Motion: Period, Frequency, and v²/R06Angular Velocity and Acceleration as Vectors07Variable Radius: Radial Velocity and the Coriolis TermProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
Dynamics
01Defining Force: Mass, Acceleration, and Force as a Vector02Newton's First Law: Inertia and Inertial Reference Frames03Newton's Second and Third Laws: Force as the Rate of Change of MomentumProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
Force Laws
01Force Laws and Hooke's Law: Measuring the Spring Force02Universal Gravitation and the Principle of Equivalence03Electric Charge, Coulomb's Law, and Newton's Third LawProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Constraint Forces
01The Normal Force: Why It Isn't Your Weight02Static and Kinetic Friction and the f = μN Laws03Free-Body Diagrams and Building a Physical Model04Tension in a Rope: Massless vs. Massive05Tension in a Hanging Rope: Two MethodsProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/4Practice∞
Applying Newton's Laws
01The Staircase Problem: Friction, Launch, and Landing02Cart, Pulley, and Hanging Block: Finding the Tension03Inextensible Strings: Constraints in a Pulley System04A Block on an Accelerating Frictionless Wedge05The Capstan Equation: Rope Friction Around a Post06Terminal Velocity and the Hyperbolic-Tangent LawProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/4Practice∞
Fluid Resistance
01The Drag Force: Two Regimes of Fluid Resistance02Stokes' Law: Terminal Velocity of a Falling Sphere03Quadratic Drag: The Reciprocal Velocity DecayProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Circular Motion & Gravitation
01Newton's Second Law for Circular Motion02Universal Gravitation: Deriving the Moon's Period03Geostationary Satellites and Binary Star Orbits04Tension in Circular Motion: From Masses to a Rope05Circular Motion on a Cone and a Turntable06The Shell Theorem: Gravity Acts From the CenterProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/6Practice∞
Momentum & Center of Mass
01Impulse and Momentum: Newton's Second Law as an Integral02Drawing the System Boundary: Why Only External Forces Count03Center of Mass: From Two Particles to a Continuous Rod04Center-of-Mass Motion and Conservation of Momentum05Setting Up Any Momentum Problem: System, Axes, Diagrams06The Exploding Projectile: Where the Larger Fragment Lands07Inelastic Collision Then Friction: The Plane and the SandbagProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/5Practice∞
Relative Motion & Variable Mass
01Reference Frames and the Galilean Transformation02Relative Velocity Worked Examples: Circle and Cart03Feynman, Challenger, and the Limits of a Curve Fit04Momentum with Flowing Mass: The Four Categories05Leaking Sand vs. Blown-In Grain: Two Freight Cars06The Boat and the Fire Hose: Mass In, Momentum In07Deriving the Rocket Equation: Where Thrust Comes From08Rocket Speed, Mass Ratio, and Why Rockets StageProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/5Practice∞
Energy & Work
01Conservation of Energy: System, Boundary, and Surroundings02Kinetic Energy: From Speed Squared to Force Times Distance03Work Done by a Constant Force: Positive, Negative, or Zero04Work as Area Under the Curve and the Work-Energy Theorem05Power: Average, Instantaneous, and Force Times VelocityProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Work in Three Dimensions
01The Scalar Product: Work as Force Dot Displacement02Work as a Line Integral Along Any Curved Path03Inverse-Square Forces, 3D Work-Energy, and Power04Reduced Mass and the Work Inside a Two-Body SystemProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Conservative Forces & Potential Energy
01Conservative Forces: Why Gravity's Work Ignores the Path02The Closed-Loop Theorem: Why Conservative Forces Give Energy Back03Defining Potential Energy from Newton's Third Law04Three Potential Energies from One Recipe, and Where the Zero GoesProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Conservation of Mechanical Energy
01Conservation of Mechanical Energy: Closed Systems, Conservative Forces02The Spring Energy Diagram: Turning Points and Forbidden Regions03Stable vs Unstable Equilibrium on a Cubic Energy Diagram04Non-Conservative Forces: When Mechanical Energy Is Not Conserved05Dissipation and the System Boundary: Where Friction's Energy GoesProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Energy Methods in Practice
01Escape Velocity: Zero Total Energy on Asteroid Toro02Loop-the-Loop: Pairing Energy with Newton's Second Law03Friction That Grows With Distance: The Energy Integral04Maximum Spring Compression on a Frictional Incline05Sliding Off a Sphere: The Angle Where Contact BreaksProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Collision Theory
01Relative Velocity, Reduced Mass, and the Center-of-Mass Frame02Coefficient of Restitution and the One-Dimensional Elastic Collision03Elastic Collisions Reverse in the Center-of-Mass Frame04Stacked Superballs: Why the Small Ball Rises Nine Times Higher05Two-Dimensional Elastic Collisions in the Laboratory Frame06The Right-Angle Rule for Equal Masses, via the Dot Product07From Center-of-Mass Angle to Laboratory Angle in ScatteringProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/6Practice∞
Fixed-Axis Rotation
01Rigid Bodies and Fixed-Axis Rotation02Angular Signs: Speeding Up or Slowing Down03Rotational Kinetic Energy and Moment of Inertia04The Uniform Disc and the Parallel Axis Theorem05Energy Conservation with a Massive Pulley06The Rod-and-Disc Pendulum: Speed at the Bottom07Proving the Parallel Axis TheoremProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/3Practice∞
Rotational Dynamics
01Torque About a Point: Moment Arm and Sign Conventions02Torque by Components: A Tilted Lever and the Ankle on Tiptoe03Deriving τ = Iα: Newton's Second Law for Rotation04Center of Gravity and Unequal Tensions on a Massive Pulley05Measuring a Rotor's Moment of Inertia from Two RunsProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Rotational Work & Static Equilibrium
01Torque Through an Angle: Rotational Work and Power02Static Equilibrium and the Lever Law03The Generalized Lever Law: Forces at an Angle04The Hinged Rod and the Person on a Hill05The Knee Joint and Torque About Any PointProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞

Centripetal Acceleration and Central Motion

Why does an object moving at constant speed around a circle still accelerate — and always toward the center?


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Your summary note

    1. 1

      Central motion and its physical instances

      List the video's examples of motion about a central point, a ball on a string, the moon's orbit, planetary orbits and Rutherford scattering, and name the circular, elliptical, parabolic and hyperbolic orbit families.

    2. 2

      Centripetal and tangential parts of the acceleration

      Record that the velocity stays tangent to the circle with constantly changing direction, that the change in velocity points inward as centripetal acceleration, and that changing speed adds a tangential part.

    3. 3

      The radial Second Law Fr=marF_r = m a_rFr​=mar​

      State that a circular constraint demands an inward force, write Fr=marF_r = m a_rFr​=mar​ as the radial component of the vector Second Law, and record Newton's 1666 remark about the moon falling toward the earth.

    Attempt 1 of 2