If you’ve taken any introductory physics class in your high school or university, you’ve likely studied the concepts of kinematics and dynamics. But despite knowing formulas from the topic, or a few laws, you may not know what exactly makes these two different. As a part of mechanics, a part of physics focusing on how forces affect the motion or rest of objects, kinematics and dynamics both study movement. The difference lies between what exactly each field attempts to explain or understand. Kinematics puts emphasis on the “how”, as in how objects move, and their behaviors under exertions of force. Dynamics on the other hand, focuses on the “why”, as in why objects move, and the forces themselves that cause the movement. Let's take cycling for example: kinematics studies the position of the bike, how fast it moves, and how fast it gains speed. Dynamics study the kinds of forces, their directions, the intensity of it, and how that gives the cyclist said speed. Generally speaking, it is quite easy to differentiate a kinematics question and a dynamics question. This can be observed by looking at the variables given in said question. A kinematics question will generally provide you with time, location, or speed, while a dynamics question will give you data on the mass, type of force, or the energy. You can use this rule of thumb to swiftly decide which formulas and concepts to utilize when encountering a physics question, which tends to be helpful in fast paced exams or multiple choice tests.