Chapter 2. Describing Motion: Kinematics in One Dimension

Hi,

By this time we´re working with the chapter two of our book (Giancoli): Kinematics in One Dimension... but do we really know what a Dimension is?

Taking a look at Wikipedia I just found:

In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify each point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it (for example, the point at 5 on a number line). A surface such as a plane or the surface of a cylinder or sphere has a dimension of two because two coordinates are needed to specify a point on it (for example, to locate a point on the surface of a sphere you need both its latitude and its longitude). The inside of a cube, a cylinder or a sphere is three-dimensional because three co-ordinates are needed to locate a point within these spaces.

In any case, I think on of the best way to understand what a Dimension is, is reading the classical book: Flatland.