Frame of Reference

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Created and Claimed by asundaresan6


The frame of reference is a tool that can be used to change the way in which a system is viewed, thus adding a layer of complexity but in some cases simplifying the problem.

The Main Idea

A frame of reference is the point in the way or perspective from which you view the events that take place within a system. In this class we use inertial frames of reference (frames where the velocity is constant). It is easy to think about if you imagine a person and what they would see if they were standing where you want a frame of reference to be. Consider the below example where there are two frames of reference: The one that observes the whole train and the boy and the one from the point of view of the boy on the train.



To the first observer (and his frame of reference), the boy is moving to the right along with the train. To the boy on the train (and his different frame of reference), he is standing still on the train. Here is a basic example of how changing the frame of reference can be a very powerful tool.

A Mathematical Model

[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{v}_{net} = \vec{F}_{net} }[/math]

What are the mathematical equations that allow us to model this topic. For example [math]\displaystyle{ {\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net} }[/math] where p is the momentum of the system and F is the net force from the surroundings.

A Computational Model

How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here Teach hands-on with GlowScript

Examples

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Connectedness

  1. How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in?
  2. How is it connected to your major?
  3. Is there an interesting industrial application?

History

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See also

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Further reading

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External links

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References

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