Unit B: Changes in Motion


Roller coaster:  Courtesy Getty Images
When you experience uniform motion, such as when you’re on a bus or on a train, you may have very little sense of motion, even if you’re going fast. Changes in motion occur as you ride a roller coaster, slalom down a ski slope, or snowboard down a mountain. The exhilaration you feel in these situations comes from changes in motion—rather than motion itself. Any changes in motion are due to the effects of forces. 
Be sure to use the results of your midterm exam to improve your study style for this course.  Are you making useful notes?  Are you working through the example problems in the text?  Was your preparation for the final exam effective?  Students generally score lower on the final exam because it covers more material and was completed over a longer time frame.

Like Unit A, this unit is more skill based.  To be successful be sure to work through the example problems in the textbook, and do as many of the practice problems as required to consistently get the correct answers.  Try to methodically work through the problems showing all the work just as demonstrated in the examples.  It really helps!
This unit is generally more challenging for students, but is a favorite of students who enjoy math and problem solving.


  • Read the Unit B introduction on pages 164 and 165 of the textbook.