VIDEO: v s t switch

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Rearranging formulas - general rules

Regardless of whether it is the (simple) path-time law for a uniform movement or a complicated one Formula: It is not always possible to rearrange the formula so that a desired quantity can be calculated simple.

  • However, a few general rules and, of course, knowledge of the mathematics.
  • So every formula is nothing more than, to put it casually, a letter calculation. In this case the letters stand for physical quantities.
  • In principle, you can treat the letters in the formula as if they were Counting respectively. Substitute for numbers. All calculation rules that you know from mathematics apply.
  • A formula can therefore be treated like an equation that has to be solved for the physical quantity you are looking for, namely your unknown here. But you have to do with more letters.
    • s = v * t - meaning of the formula

    For many students in physics class, the formula s = v * t is a mystery. Which …

  • Calculating with letters is not easy, however. A trick can help here: If you don't know how to calculate the letter "s", for example, to put it on To bring up the other side of the equation, first put a number in its place, for example "5", a. The calculation step is then usually easier.

Uniform movement - switch to v, s and t

  • The path-time law for a uniform movement, i.e. a straight-line movement with constant speed, is s = v * t.
  • Here s means the distance covered (in meters m), v the constant speed of the body (in meters per second m / s) and t the required time (in seconds s).
  • Before you change the formula, you should convert all given quantities into these basic units. Never calculate with different units such as km / h and m.
  • If you want to calculate the path s, the formula has already been solved for s. In this case you simply have to insert the given velocity v and the time t.
  • If you are to calculate the speed v of the body from the distances s and the required times t, you have to rearrange the formula for v, i.e. separate v. This is easy to do by bringing the (disruptive) t to the other side of the equation. The opposite operation to "multiply" is "divide". So you have to divide and get s / t = v or, more conveniently, v = s / t.
  • If you know the speed v and know what distance s has been covered, you can calculate the time t required for it. As with the velocity v, the formula has to be solved for "t", which is also achieved by dividing: s / v = t or again shown more favorably t = s / v.
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