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1.5 Relative Motion

Part of Kinematics in AP® Physics C: Mechanics. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

Reference Frames

To use an example, imagine a scenario where you are driving in a car at 15m/s past a bunch of stationary pedestrians on the sidewalk next to you.

  • From the pedestrian point of view, you and the car are moving at 15m/s forward. The pedestrian would be considered the stationary reference frame in this case.
  • From your point of view, the car would be stationary as you are moving together with the car; however, the pedestrian would be moving 15m/s backward. You would be considered the moving reference frame in this case.

This illustrates how different reference frames can lead to different motions.

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