Kinematics Refresher for Physics Majors

[jack476]

I'm a junior in physics, and I had a really embarrassing experience lately with some freshmen.

Basically, within the major I have earned straight A's in all my physics courses since freshman year, I'm the student body president of the physics majors, and I'm doing a summer REU at one of the best schools in the country for physics. And the two freshmen I was talking to, who were in physics 1 as a summer course at my main school, asked for help with some basic kinematics problems and I realized I barely remember anything from the course and I was helpless.

It's probably due to the fact that I have not taken any mechanics-related courses, so far I've only done the electromagnetism, modern physics, and optics sequences, but I really should know basic kinematics, especially because 1.) my pride was wounded and I felt dumb and 2.) I'm signed up for classical dynamics in the fall.

I'm not really looking for a full textbook on kinematics or mechanics, but just a primer or refresher on kinematics for someone who has taken advanced math and physics courses but has forgotten some of the basic physics 101 kinematics stuff.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=projectile+motion

 

[Dexter K]

Any of the following textbooks would be of good use - all are calculus-based physics texts for engineering (will be basic for you). Volume 1 is all that you need. I used Knight to self-study for the AP Physics C exams and Young/Freedman was the textbook used for our calculus-based physics sequence in college. Both are real good and Halliday and Resnick also garnered really good review from peers who self-studied for the AP test.

University Physics (Young & Freedman) OR Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Knight) OR Fundamentals of Physics (Halliday & Resnick).