Frame of Reference
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
In order to calculate what the velocity is, we will use the following equation so that the frame of reference will not change the overall value of the velocity:
[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{v} = \vec{v}' + \vec{v}_{frame} }[/math]
where [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{v} }[/math] is the velocity in a stationary frame, [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{v}_{frame} }[/math] is the velocity of the moving reference frame, and [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{v}' }[/math] is the velocity observed in the moving frame.
A Computational Model
There are some great resources that can help you become more acquainted with the topic of frames of reference.
The following website allows you to change initial conditions and frames of reference to see exactly how your decisions will change what is seen: http://www.wiley.com/college/halliday/0470469080/simulations/sim45/sim45.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYH_nODWkqk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYMU6bn5GHY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9y0RlF_DqA
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