SP1: Motion

Question 1

Define scalar

Answer 1

Quantities that only have magnitude

Question 2

Define vector

Answer 2

Quantities that have both magnitude and direction

Question 3

Give three examples of a scalar quantities

Answer 3

• distance
• temperature
• mass
• speed
• energy
• density

Question 4

Give three examples of vector quantities

Answer 4

• displacement
• force
• gravity
• weight
• velocity
• acceleration
• momentum

Question 5

How is the direction of a vector given?

Answer 5

Drawn as an arrow or given in a written description

Question 6

What does the length of the arrow suggest?

Answer 6

The magnitude of the quanitity

Question 7

What is the equation for speed?

Answer 7

distance/time

Question 8

What is the equation for velocity?

Answer 8

displacement/time

Question 9

Define speed

Answer 9

The rate of change of distance

Question 10

What is the unit for speed?

Answer 10

m/s

Question 11

What is the typical speed for someone who is walking?

Answer 11

1.5 m/s

Question 12

What is the typical speed for someone who is running?

Answer 12

3 m/s

Question 13

What is the typical speed for someone who is cycling?

Answer 13

6 m/s

Question 14

What is the typical speed for someone who is driving?

Answer 14

13-30 m/s

Question 15

What is the typical speed for a train?

Answer 15

50 m/s

Question 16

What is the typical speed for a plane?

Answer 16

250 m/s

Question 17

What are the two measurements needed to calculate speed?

Answer 17

• the distance the object has travelled
• the time the object took to travel that far

Question 18

What does a horizontal gradient on the distance-time graph show?

Answer 18

The object is stationary

Question 19

What does a sloping gradient on the distance-time graph show?

Answer 19

The object is moving

Question 20

How do we calculate the speed from a distance-time graph?

Answer 20

From the gradient of the line

Question 21

What does a steep gradient on a distance-time graph represent?

Answer 21

The object is moving fast

Question 22

What is on the x-axis of a distance-time graph?

Answer 22

Time

Question 23

What is on the y-axis of a distance-time graph?

Answer 23

Distance

Question 24

Define acceleration

Answer 24

The rate of change of velocity

Question 25

What are the units for velocity?

Answer 25

m/s

Question 26

What is the equation for velocity?

Answer 26

displacement/ time

Question 27

What does a negative gradient on a distance-time graph show?

Answer 27

The object is moving at a constant speed, but it is going back to its starting point

Question 28

What is the equation for acceleration?

Answer 28

(change in velocity)/time

Question 29

When do we know that an object is accelerating?

Answer 29

- when it changes velocity - when it changes its distance

Question 30

What is deceleration?

Answer 30

Negative acceleration: when an object is slowing down/ moving in the opposite direction

Question 31

What are the units for acceleration?

Answer 31

m/s^2

Question 32

What is the typical acceleration for running?

Answer 32

2 m/s^2

Question 33

What is the typical acceleration for a family car?

Answer 33

1 - 7 m/s^2

Question 34

What is the typical acceleration for a motorbike?

Answer 34

1 - 10 m/s^2

Question 35

What is the typical acceleration for a rollercoaster?

Answer 35

30-60 m/s^2

Question 36

What is the acceleration in freefall due to Earth's gravity?

Answer 36

9.8 m/s^2 if no other forces, such as air resistance are acting upon the object

Question 37

What does a horizontal line represent on a velocity-time graph?

Answer 37

A constant velocity

Question 38

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

Answer 38

Acceleration

Question 39

What does a downwards sloping line represent on a velocity-time graph?

Answer 39

Deceleration

Question 40

What does a line below the horizontal axis represent on a velocity-time graph?

Answer 40

The object is travelling in the opposite direction

Question 41

What does the area under a velocity-time graph represent?

Answer 41

The distance the object has travelled

Question 42

What is on the x-axis of the velocity-time graph?

Answer 42

Time

Question 43

What is on the y-axis of the velocity-time graph?

Answer 43

Velocity

Question 44

What equation represents the object in uniform acceleration?

Answer 44

(final velocity)^2 – (initial velocity)^2 = 2 × acceleration × distance

Question 45

Why is it that when an object travels in a circle, the velocity is constantly changing despite the constant speed?

Answer 45

The direction of the object keeps changing

Question 46

What must act on an object to cause acceleration?

Answer 46

A resultant force

Question 47

What resultant force acts in a circular motion which causes the object to accelerate?

Answer 47

centripetal force