P4 - Explaining Motion Flashcards
(131 cards)
What 2 things does velocity tell you?
- Speed
- Direction of travel
If a lorry travels along a straight road at 15m/s, what will the velocity be? (HT)
+15m/s in one direction and -15m’s in the other direction
Does it matter which direction (in terms of velocity) is called positive or negative? (HT)
No - as long as opposite directions have opposite directions have opposite signs.
Explain how direction is described in terms of velocity. (HT)
- Changes in distance in one direction are described as positive
- In the opposite direction they’re negative
What two things do you need to know in order to find out the speed of an object?
- The distance it has travelled
- The time it took to travel that distance
How can speed be calculated?
Using the following formula:
speed (m/s) = distance travelled (m) / time taken (s)
What does the “speed = distance / time” formula calculate?
An average speed over the total distance travelled, even if the speed of a n object isn’t constant
True or False?
You cannot calculate the average speed of an object over the total distance travelled if the speed is not constant.
False - You can calculate the average speed of an object over the total distance travelled, even if the speed is not constant.
The speed of an object at a particular point in time is called the what?
The instantaneous speed
A car travels 10 metres in 5 seconds. What is the average speed?
Speed = distance / time = 10m / 5s = 2m/s
What is a ‘slope’ on a graph also known as?
The gradient
What is the gradient?
The ‘slope’ on a graph
What is the gradient (or ‘slope’) on a distance-time graph used to measure?
The speed of an object
The gradient (or ‘slope’) on a distance-time graph can be used to measure the speed of an object.
a) The steeper the slope…
b) The flatter the slope…
a) …the greater the speed
b) …the slower the speed
How can speed be calculated by using a distance-time graph? (HT)
By working out what the gradient (or ‘slope’) is
Explain how you can calculate speed by working out the gradient on a distance-time graph. (HT) (4 stages)
- Take any two points on the gradient
- Read off the displacement travelled between these points
- Note the time taken between these points.
- Divide the displacement by time
What is the instantaneous velocity of an object?
Its instantaneous speed together with an indication of direction.
When the line of a distance-time graph is curved, what does that mean?
The speed of the object is changing
What does the gradient (or ‘slope’) of a speed-time graph represent?
How quickly an object is increasing in speed (i.e. accelerating)
What would you call it when an object is increasing in speed?
Accelerating
Complete the sentence in relation to a speed-time graph.
The steeper the slope/gradient…
…the faster its speed is increasing
Where might a speed-time graph be used?
In lorry tachographs
For what reasons might a speed-time graph be used in lorry tachographs?
To ensure that drivers:
- don’t exceed the speed limit
- rest for suitable amounts of time
A student plots a speed-time graph. The graph gives a horizontal straight line. What does that tel you about the acceleration?
It was zero - his speed was constant