Multiple Representations is the idea that a physical phenomena can be explored in many different ways. For example, there is the physical representation which models the system with figures and diagrams, such as a free body diagram. There is also the mathematical representation which uses the equation(s) governing the physics of the system. All of the representations can be used together to help us understand and quantify the physical phenomena.

 

 

 

 

Physical Representations explain the features of the situation in a visual way, often with vector representations of physical quantities overlaid a simple diagram or picture of the situation.

Mathematical Representation uses equation(s) to describe the situation.

In Newton's First Law says "an object at rest will stay at rest, or an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force." In both cases the net force will be zero. However, we will see exactly why this is true when we introduce Newton's 2nd Law. The 1st law can be viewed as a special case of the 2nd law.

Graphical Representation describes the situation through use of plots and graphs.

Descriptive Representation is made up enitrely of words or annotations. Think about how you might explain the situation to someone else.

A spaceship, deep in space, has ran out of fuel. Since nothing is there to act on the ship, it will continue to move at the speed it is moving and in the direction it is moving. It will do this until something acts on it, something like the pull from a nearby star that becomes no longer negligible as the ship passes near the star.

 
Actual Phenomena could be thought of as doing the experiment. For example, if you're asked which of two runners, with different characteristics of their speeds, will win the race, one way to determine that would be to get two runners to run in the described way and see who wins.

Here is a great vidoe of an expariment where a pen cap is dropped into a bottle using Newton's first law