Physics › Section B · Kinematics in one and two dimensions › Topic B.9
Addition of velocities
A boat crossing a river, a plane in a crosswind and rain streaking past a car window all raise the same question: moving relative to what? Velocities measured from different viewpoints combine by vector addition, and that one rule settles every case.
In this topic
- Velocity depends on the viewpoint
- The addition rule and its subscripts
- Velocities along one line
- Worked example: overtaking a lorry
- A boat crossing a river
- Worked example: a ferry and a current
- Aircraft and wind
- Worked example: a crosswind
- Rain seen from a moving bicycle
- Inertial frames and their limits
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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