The area of physics that studies motion and its cause is called mechanics.

Here's a breakdown of what mechanics encompasses:

* Kinematics: This branch describes the motion of objects without considering the forces that cause it. It focuses on quantities like displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

* Dynamics: This branch investigates the forces that cause motion and how they affect the motion of objects. It includes concepts like Newton's Laws of Motion, work, energy, and momentum.

So, mechanics encompasses both the description of motion (kinematics) and the explanation of motion (dynamics).