What is Motion? Unpacking the Basics on The Cosmic Playground
The Cosmic Playground: Decoding the Dance - What is Motion? Welcome back to The Cosmic Playground, where we love to explore the fundamental building blocks of our universe! Today, we're diving into a concept so basic it's often taken for granted, yet so profound it governs everything from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy: motion . As our opening thought experiment suggested, "Motion, in its simplest form, is just a change in position over time. But it becomes much more interesting when we start to describe how things move." So, buckle up as we unpack the essential vocabulary and concepts that help us decode the intricate dance of the cosmos. The ABCs of Movement: Distance, Speed, and Velocity Let's start with the very basics: Distance: This is the most straightforward measure – it's simply how far an object travels along its path. Whether you're walking in a straight line or taking a winding route, the total length you cover is the distance. ...