What is kinetics?

Kinetics is the branch of physics that is responsible for the study of the movement of bodies and the causes that produce and modify it.

What is cinematics?

On the other hand, kinematics is the branch of physics that studies the movement of bodies without taking into account the causes that produce it. That is, it is responsible for the study of the trajectory, speed, acceleration and time of an object moving.

Main differences

Study focus

The main difference between kinetics and cinematics is the focus of the study. While kinetics focuses on the causes that produce motion, kinematics studies motion without taking those causes into account.

Variables studied

Kinematics is responsible for studying variables such as speed, acceleration, distance traveled and time, while kinetics focuses on variables such as force, work, energy and momentum.

Practical applications

Both branches of physics are very important and have practical applications in fields such as mechanical engineering, astronautics, biomechanics, among others. Kinematics is used in the design of vehicles and in predicting the trajectories of celestial bodies, while kinetics is fundamental in the development of structures and in fluid mechanics.

Conclusions

In summary, although both disciplines are related to the movement of bodies, kinetics and kinematics focus on different aspects. Kinematics studies movement per se, while kinetics focuses on the causes that produce that movement. These disciplines are fundamental in the design and implementation of various structures and systems, as well as in the understanding of the physical phenomena that surround us.

References

• Conceptual Physics, Paul Hewitt, Tenth Edition
• Physics, Serway and Jewett, eighth edition

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