A Two Dimensional Perspective in a Modern World

Dimension, in physics, is an expression of the character of a derived quantity in relation to fundamental quantities, without regard for its numerical value. In any system of measurement, such as the metric system, certain quantities are considered fundamental, and all others are derived from them. CLINK! The noise of the golf club hitting the ball reaches your ears, and at the sight of seeing the ball soar through the sky you notice that this is a prime example of two dimensional motion. The motion of an object that is shot, thrown, or in some other way launched into the air, such as a golf ball being hit into the air, is two dimensional because it will contain both x and y components. The ball's trajectory is called the parabola. In the y direction, the ball is thrown upward with an initial velocity of Vy2, and the X direction is the ball being thrown forward with an initial velocity of Vx2.

Another good example of a 2 dimensional is firing a gun. When a bullet is shot out into the open, it will eventually hit the ground if there is no obstacles to stop it. This is because out the force of gravity being applied downward to the bullet. This is a very good example of 2-dimensional motion because it has a y and x component to it just like any other motion that consists of firing, throwing, or dismissal of an object into the air. Throw a ball at an angle up off a building. It is now a projectile, which is an object that is propelled by another force and continues to travel because of its own inertia. Watch at first as it travels at the angle that you threw it. When the ball's velocity reaches zero, (which is its highest point), it begins to travel down to the ground while moving horizontally because its force is constant. This is an example of Projectile Motion. Projectile Motion is a nonlinear motion in which matter travels on a curved path or motion under the influence of gravity.

In the late 1500s a famous physicist, Galileo Galilei, was the first to accurately describe projectile motion and showed how the motion had separate components such as constant horizontal motion and the object would continue to accelerate downward because of gravity. Inertia is a large part of projectile motion because it explains precisely why an object continues to be in motion even after a force has stopped being exerted on it.


 By Edwin A Sandiford


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