The Math of Moving Things
Discover how simple numbers and shapes predict exactly how objects fly, fall, and collide in the real world. Turn abstract math into a tool for mastering the physical environment.
Like Duolingo, but for The Math of Moving Things. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Predicting the Path and The Hidden Rules of Motion. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Math of Moving Things
- Calculating speed as a ratio of distance and time
- Distinguishing between constant speed and acceleration
- A vector must include both a magnitude (how much) and a specific direction
- The steepness of the line on a position-time graph represents the speed
- Speed alone is just a scalar; adding 'North' or 'East' makes it a vector
- A flat line means the object's position is not changing as time passes
- Interpreting the meaning of slopes on a position-time graph
- Meters and seconds are the foundational units for measuring distance and time in physics
- Identifying the directional component of a vector
- Mixing non-standard units (like 'handspans' or 'blinks') makes math incompatible with physical laws
- Recognizing standard units required for physical calculations
- Gravity only reduces the vertical component of motion
- The downward pull is a constant subtraction of speed over time
- At the peak of the flight, vertical speed has been reduced to zero
- Gravity's effect on vertical velocity over time
- Horizontal speed does not change how fast an object falls
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Math of Moving Things the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
If you drive 100 miles and it takes you exactly 2 hours, what calculation reveals your speed?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn The Math of Moving Things, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Predicting the Path
- Measuring Space and Speed
- The Geometry of a Curve
- 2
The Hidden Rules of Motion
- Balancing Force and Mass
- The Math of Energy
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about The Math of Moving Things
How do I learn The Math of Moving Things?
Go in order: start with Predicting the Path, then The Hidden Rules of Motion. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for The Math of Moving Things?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. The Math of Moving Things is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is The Math of Moving Things free?
Yes. The Math of Moving Things is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn The Math of Moving Things?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start The Math of Moving Things?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
The Math of Moving Things is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Math of Moving Things today.
Download Tomo, search The Math of Moving Things, and play your first lesson in under a minute.