Topic 1-4: What is kinematics?

The title of this chapter is "Space, Time and Kinematics." Naturally, the question what is "kinematics" arises. Kinematics is just a technical term meaning that we are going to study the motion of objects in one, two and three-dimensional spaces by describing in detail where an object is at certain time or by deriving the equation of motion of the object. The question of how to derive the equation of motion or the description of an object's location at a certain time is the domain of "dynamics," which will be the major topic of Classical Mechanics throughout the remaining chapters of this book. Though we will not derive equations of motion in kinematics, surprisingly many physics problems can be covered by kinematics, thus giving us a quick sampling of the taste of classical mechanics. Kinematics problems also serve as a good means to learn many mathematical skills applicable throughout the remaining chapters of this book.

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