Why is understanding motion so important? Be sure to answer in your own words.

Answer 1

Hello, Yeetis,

This was an interesting question, but I was surprised I had difficulty coming up with a good answer. I'll share my thoughts, but hopefully someone will offer a more elegant respose.

Motion is a broad term that encompasses nearly everything that occurs, as a function of time. While life forms have evolved their own form of locomotion, the progress sought by humans has long depended on the study of movement. Just getting from one place to another involved a progression from wheels to space shuttles, with cars, planes, subways, bicycles, boats, etc. All involve the act of moving something from one point to another, in the most efficient manner.

Bot motion also covers the act of manufacturing, or building, something. Motion is an integral part of those operations. Early engineering progress produced innovations that could convert circular motion (e.g., windmill) to linear or oscillating machines that could a wide variety of useful machines. Useful motion is a result of much research involving efficiency, power, and utility innovations that translate into car engines, electrical motors, gearing systems, pullies, pneumatic power tools, etc. Physics provides the tools for calculating what is possible or needed. Moving electric fields are the basis of power generation, speakers, microphones, etc.

Motion is inherent in many phases of our lives. Humans wish to use energy to create stuff, and that requires a lot of motion. There's also emotion, promotion, make a motion, and my commotion.

Hopefully you can glean something useful,

Bob