Week 2 Study Guide — Motion in 1D and Relative Motion

Directly supported by notes

Explicitly named in the lecture slides, the lecturer’s handwritten notes, and Tutorial 2:

Topic	Direct source coverage
Model -> Visualise -> Solve -> Assess workflow	Slide 9, used throughout the worked examples
Pictorial depiction of motion (motion diagrams, vector diagrams)	Slides 10–12
Calculus links: $v=dx/dt$, $a=dv/dt$ and integrals	Slide 14
Geometric derivation of $v=u+at$ and $s=ut+\frac{1}{2}a{t}^2$	Handwritten pp. 1–2
The four SUVAT equations and “three-of-five rule”	Slides 15–16
Free fall under $g=9.81{\text{m/s}}^2$	Slide 17, Example 1
Braking under constant deceleration	Slide 18, Example 2
Relative velocity in 1D (${\vec{v}}_{OG}={\vec{v}}_{OM}+{\vec{v}}_{MG}$)	Slide 19
Same problem solved by direct kinematics AND by frame-switch	Slide 20, handwritten pp. 5–7
Four practice problems (mini-golf, lake, springbok, jet exhaust)	Tutorial 2, exercises 1–4

The workshop expects you to be able to:

1. Sketch a motion diagram with a chosen axis and sign convention, then label every kinematic quantity ($u,v,s,t,a$) with a symbol and sign on the picture.
2. List which 3 of $\{u,v,s,t,a\}$ are known and which is wanted, then pick the SUVAT that contains those four variables.
3. Convert km/h $\to$ m/s and cm $\to$ m before substituting.
4. Apply the same SUVATs to free-fall problems, getting the sign of $a$ from your axis choice.
5. Solve a 1D relative-motion problem two ways: direct kinematics in the ground frame, and via a frame switch.

Strongly inferred from workshop materials

These almost certainly appear in the lecture but are corroborated by Tutorial 2 problems:

• The distinction between scalar and vector quantities (speed vs velocity, distance vs displacement). Tutorial 2’s mini-golf and springbok problems assume you can carry signs through multi-stage motion.
• The idea that a multi-stage problem must be split into segments of constant acceleration. Tutorial 2 Q1 (mini-golf) has two slopes; Q2 (lead ball + lake) has two phases; Q3 (springbok) has push + flight.
• The need to classify two roots of $u=\pm \sqrt{\cdot }$ by physical context (lecture Example 1).

Possible lecture content (not in notes)

May appear in the lecture/textbook but not exercised in the captured material:

• Position-time graph reading (matching graphs to verbal descriptions).
• The distinction between “instantaneous” and “average” velocity in more depth, with limits.
• Significant figures and uncertainty in measurement.
• A pre-statement of Newton’s second law as a teaser for Week 3.

Gaps requiring official source check

• The lecturer mentioned the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve (slides 5–7) and spaced repetition as a study technique. This is study-skills content; whether it’s assessable is unclear.
• The lecture’s exact ordering and time allocation between SUVAT, free fall, and relative motion — verify from the deck.
• Whether the lecturer uses $s$ or $x$ as the standard symbol for displacement — both appear in the captured material.

Worked examples

Three notes cover this week at different depths:

• Lecture reconstruction — full slide-by-slide narrative including all three lecture examples worked through, the geometric SUVAT derivation, and the four Tutorial 2 exercises.
• Cheatsheet — every formula, the SUVAT picker table, the sign-convention drill, and a quiz that reshuffles every visit.
• In-depth analysis — why the SUVATs look the way they do, the lecturer’s geometric derivation rebuilt step-by-step, full worked example per topic, and an exam-style end-to-end (springbok pronk).

Common mistakes

1. Sign errors. $u,v,a,s$ are vectors — fix the axis and stick with it.
2. Skipping the picture. Slide 9 says spend most of your time here.
3. Forgetting unit conversion (km/h, cm).
4. Using SUVAT when $a$ isn’t constant — split into segments first.
5. Treating $g$ as signed. $9.81$ is magnitude only.
6. Taking only the positive root — physical context decides the sign.
7. Forgetting to Assess — does the answer make sense?

Practice questions

From Tutorial 2 (recommended order):

• Q4 — Jet exhaust. Pure relative-velocity. Start here.
• Q2 — Lead ball + lake. Two-stage motion, easy SUVATs.
• Q3 — Springbok pronk. Two-stage motion with a free-fall phase. Tests the workflow.
• Q1 — Mini-golf hole-in-one. Hardest: three segments, work backwards from the hole.

Also re-do the lecture’s three examples without looking at the worked solutions.

Assessment relevance

• Portfolio 1 begins in the Week 2 workshop (3% of unit grade).
• The end-of-semester exam typically has a 1D kinematics question worth ~10% of total marks — usually one multi-stage motion or one relative-motion frame-switch.
• This week is the foundation for projectile motion (next week) and every dynamics problem after.

Confidence report

• Directly supported: the workflow, the SUVAT equations, the worked examples, the Tutorial 2 problems, and the relative-motion formula.
• Inferred: the lecturer’s framing of multi-stage problems and the scalar/vector distinction.
• Gap: study-skills content’s assessability; exact slide ordering for any reading-week timing question.

Source files used

• EGD102-Physics/Lecture2_CTP1.pdf (lecture slides)
• EGD102-Physics/EGD102 - Lecture2 - Notes.pdf (lecturer’s handwritten worked notes)
• EGD102-Physics/Tutorial 2.pdf (workshop exercises)