Good resource for learning motion and rearranging formulas

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victorhugo
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My class is currently doing thing like centripetal acceleration, momentum etc. and I am not quite getting it.
We are also meant to know how to rearrange and combine formulas really well, but I have missed a lot of algebra on previous years so I only know the basics... Can someone please recommend me some links that explains these things? Thank you
 
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DEvens said:
You need to tell us what level you are in? High school? College?

There are lots of texts for this. A really introductory one might be Schaums Outline. Cheap, lots of worked examples. And on many different subjects.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071821813/?tag=pfamazon01-20
I am entering my last year of high school... I was thinking of a website that i can access for free
 
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Perhaps some Khan Academy videos? For higher-level mathematical learning, I wouldn't recommend it, but for brushing up on the basics of formula manipulation, I'd definitely suggest it.
 
The best way to go about it, is to get a general calculus based physics book. I would recommended Giancoli Physics for Scientist and Engineers. An older edition can be purchased for five dollars shipped.

Read the sections and ask why. Then follow the derivations and replicate them.

In my opinion, I liked to think of these Laws/Theorems as sets. Ie mathematical sets to simplify what i mean about sets. How do these things behave and interact with each other. What is possible and not possible. Then apply analogies to simplify the process.

Ofcourse their are better mechanics books such as Keppler, but these books are not recommended for your ability currently.

For example Centripetal Acceleration. We all know that acceleration is defined as the change in velocity over the change in time.

We know that velocity and acceleration is a vector. Then ask what is a vector? It is an object having both magnitude and direction.

However, we assume velocity=0. But hey wouldn't 0 velocity= acceleration? Not quite, since the velocity vector is changing direction, then acceleration must exist.

Then you draw the diagram that is given in your book. and notice that acceleration can be thought of as the hypotenuse of the 2 components of velocity making up the legs.

then so on.

if you follow the derivation in your book, you will understand why velocity= 2pie*r*f

and radial acceleration= v^2/r.Momentum can be described along a similar manner using the analogy of a car traveling in a positive direction.You want to actually understand and not plug and chug. If you have tried to understand how things are connected then it would be easier to understand the bigger picture. Doesn't matter if you got it wrong, but that you used brain cells trying to understand it.

Don't become a plug and chug robot.