Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

A Level Physics Edexcel > Mechanics > Flashcards

Mechanics Flashcards

(74 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is a scalar quantity?

A

A quantity with magnitude only, for example: speed, distance, energy, time, power, charge, current and voltage.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a vector quantity?

A

A quantity with magnitude and direction, for example: velocity, displacement, forces and acceleration.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Define speed, v in ms^-1.

A

The distance an object travels per unit time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Define velocity, v in ms^-1.

A

The rate of change of displacement with respect to time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Define distance , d in m.

A

How far an object has travelled.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Define Dispacement, s in m.

A

How far away an object is from a given point, in a given direction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Define acceleration, a in ms^-2.

A

The rate of change of velocity with respect to time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What does the gradient of a distance-time graph represent?

A

Speed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What does the gradient of a displacement-time graph represent?

A

Velocity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What does the gradient of a velocity-time graph represent?

A

Acceleration.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Describe the shape of a velocity-time
graph for an object travelling with
uniform acceleration.

A

If acceleration is constant, the gradient of the velocity-time graph will be constant and so it will form a straight line graph.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Describe the shape of a velocity-time
graph for an object travelling with
uniform acceleration.

A

If acceleration is not constant, the
gradient of the velocity-time graph will
change and so it will form a curve.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Compare the velocity-time graphs for a uniformly accelerating and a uniformly decelerating object.

A

● For an accelerating object, the gradient will be positive
● For a decelerating object, the gradient
will be negative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What must always be true when using
the SUVAT equations of motion?

A

The acceleration must be uniform - if the
acceleration is changing, the equations
are not valid.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the SUVAT equation, where: X = X + XX?

A

v = u + at

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the SUVAT equation, where: X^n = X^n + nXX

A

v^2 = u^2 + 2as

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the SUVAT equation, where: X = XX + nXX^n

A

s = ut + 1/2at^2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the SUVAT equation, where: X = n(X +X)X

A

s = 1/2(u + v)t

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the SUVAT equation, where: X = XX - nXX^n

A

s = vt - 1/2at^2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

With the equations for uniformly accelerated motion, what is the symbol and units for displacement?

A

Symbol:
s

Units:
m

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

With the equations for uniformly accelerated motion, what is the symbol and what are the units for initial velocity?

A

Symbol:
u

Units:
ms^−1

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

With the equations for uniformly accelerated motion, what is the symbol and what are the units for final velocity?

A

Symbol:
v

Units:
ms^−1

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

With the equations for uniformly accelerated motion, what is the symbol and what are the units for acceleration?

A

Symbol:
a

Units:
ms^−2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

With the equations for uniformly accelerated motion, what is the symbol and what are the units for time?

A

Symbol:
t

Units:
s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
If I drop something, what is it's acceleration immediately after I let go?
9.81ms^−2
26
If I throw a something into the air, what is its acceleration immediately after I let go?
-9.81ms^−2
27
What is **free fall**?
When the only force acting on the object is its weight.
28
How is free fall related to gravity?
The acceleration of an object in free-fall is equal to the gravitional field strength, g=9.81ms^-2, This is also known as the **acceleration due to gravity**.
29
Define a projectile
A projectile is an airborne particle that only experineces weight and no other forces while following a parabolic path
30
How could I calculate the horizontal distance of a projectile **t** seconds after being launched?
Multiply the horizontal component of the initial velocity by **t**
31
what is meant by an object falling at terminal velocity?
A falling object accelerates downwards due to gravity while also experiencing upward drag. the drag = weight. terminal velocity can be different speeds i.e. a skydiver will have two different terminal velocities depending on if the parachute is open.
32
What is terminal speed?
The speed at which th frictional forces acting on an object are equal to its constant drving force, making it travel at a constant velocity.
33
(core practical) What equipment is used to determine the acceleration of a freely falling object?
Two light gates, a metre rule and a long, thin object to drop through them
34
(core practical) I have the displacement and time for an object to fall between two light gates. How do I calculate acceleration due to gravity?
Plot displacement against time squared. Multiply the gradient by 2 to get the acceleration due to gravity
35
Define Force, ***F*** in **N**.
A pushing or pulling effect in a given direction that acts on an object.
36
Define Mass, ***m*** in **kg**.
How resistant a body is to the action of a force.
37
What is weight?
A downward force due to the effect gravity has on a body's mass.
38
State the equation for magnitude of weight for object of mass ***m***
W = mg Weight = Mass x Gravitational Field Strength
39
Describe friction.
A frictional force opposes the motion of an object by acting in the opposite direction to its velocity.
40
These forces ________ cause an object to start moving or speed up, only ____________ or ________ .
These forces **cannot** cause an object to start moving or **slow down** or **stop**.
41
What causes dry frictional forces?
Contact between an object and a solid surface.
42
________________ are assumed to cause no friction.
**Smooth surfaces** are assumed to cause no friction.
43
Frictional forces cause objects to lose ________________ as heat or sound.
Frictional forces cause objects to lose **kinectic energy** as heat or sound
44
Define Drag.
A frictional force that acts on an object moving throght a fluid, due to collisions with particles in the fliud.
45
Factors that increase with drag.
1. Viscosity 2. Thickness of the fluid 3. The speed an object moves the fluid
46
What dos does drag depend on?
The objects shape.
47
Define Lift.
An upward force that acts on an object oving horizontally through a fluid.
48
What causes lift?
The fluid flowig over the object changing direct.
49
How can lift be increased?
The object's shape, such a with an aeroplane wing.
50
Define normal contact force.
A force perpendicular to a surface stopping two objects crushing together.
51
Define Tension.
A force which can be due to compression of stretching of a material. It always comes in pairs.
52
What does the size of a frictional force depend on?
type of surface | - how hard the surfaces are pressed together
53
State Newton’s first law of motion in words.
An object at rest will remain at rest, and an object moving with a given velocity will continue moving with that same velocity, unless acted on by an external resultant force.
54
State Newton’s second law of motion in words.
The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the resultant force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
55
State the defining equation of Newton’s second law of motion.
ΣF = ma Resultant Force (N) = Mass (kg) x Acceleration (ms⁻²)
56
Can an object travelling with constant speed change direction, without an external force acting?
For an object to change direction, its velocity must change. This means there must be an acceleration. An acceleration cannot occur without an external resultant force acting.
57
State Newton’s third law of motion in words.
If object *A* exerts a force on object *B*, then object *B* will exert an equal and opposite force on object *A*.
58
Name the conditions for a newtons third law pair.
* forces must have the same magnitude * forces act along the same line but in opposite directions * forces act for/at the same time * forces act on a different object * forces are the same type
59
If there is no resultant force, then there is no ____________ and the system is in ________________, as stated by the first law.
If there is no resultant force, then there is no **acceleration** and the system is in **equilibrium**, as stated by the first law.
60
What is a moment?
The turning effect of a force about a point. ## Footnote Given as the product of a force, ***F*** and its perpendicular distance from its line of action to the point, ***d***.
61
State the equation used to calculate the moment of a force.
Moment of a Force = Force x Perpendicular distance from the pivot
62
What distance must be used when calculating a moment?
The perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force and the axis of rotation.
63
What is the unit of a moment?
Nm
64
What is the principle of moments?
For an object to be in equilibrium, the sum of the clockwise moments about a point must be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments.
65
The moment of a force about the point it acts from will always be ________.
The moment of a force about the point it acts from will always be **zero**.
66
Moments will be directed either ____________ or ________________ around a point.
Moments will be directed either **clockwise** or **anticlockwise** around a point.
67
What is a couple?
A par of coplanar forces of equal magnitude, F which act on an object perpendicular distane d apart from each other.
68
A couple causes no ________________ but will cause a body to ____________.
A couple causes **no translational motion** but will cause a body to **rotate**.
69
State the equation for a moment of a couple.
M = Fd
70
The moment from a couple is ____________ for any point of reference.
The moment from a couple is **the** **same** for any point of reference.
71
Explain Equilibrium.
When the resultant force on an object is zero, meaning it remains stationary or travels with constant velocity.
72
Equilibrium means the resultant force in any direction must also be ________.
Equilibrium means the resultant force in any direction must also be **zero**.
73
What will occur if the line of action an object’s centre of gravity lies outside its base?
The object’s weight will produce a resultant moment and so if is unsupported, the object may topple.
74

A Level Physics Edexcel (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions