Kinematics of Particles

Kinematics is the study of the motion of particles, and rigid bodies, disregarding the forces associated with these motions. In other words, kinematics is the geometry of motion without considering the phenomenon that causes the motion. This chapter discusses the motion on a linear path. Distance is defined as how far a particle travels from a reference point, while displacement is defined as how far a particle is from its initial position. Distance is a scalar quantity, while displacement is a vector quantity. Cartesian coordinate systems are used for graphical presentation of most functions commonly used in engineering. The chapter discusses the motion of a particle in a straight path but not on the surface, rather vertically straight upward or downward or a combination of both. In classical projectile motion, the object is thrown at an angle from the ground. Another kind of projectile motion is called Horizontal Projectile Motion.