Tuesday, 1 October 2024
Physics Notes!!
Unit 1: Forces and Motion
Chapter 1: Movement and Position
Objective 1: Know and use the relationship between average speed, distance
moved and time taken: average speed = distance moved / time taken
• To nd the average speed of an object, we use:
- Average speed, v = distance moved, s / time taken, t
• E.g.: A car travels 100 kilometers in 2 hours.
• v = s/t => 100/2 => 50 km/hr.
• Rearranging the formula:
•Time taken, t = distance moved, s / average
speed, v
•Distance moved, s = average speed, v ) x ( time
taken, t
Objective 2: Plot and explain distance−time graphs
•The slope of the
distance- time graph
tells us how fast the
object is moving.
•The steeper the
graph, the greater the
speed.
• Horizontal line
means slope is zero,
means speed is zero,
means object is not
moving.
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Objective 3: Investigate the motion of everyday objects such as toy cars or
tennis balls
1. Measure the distance from the starting point to the ending point using
measuring tape.
2. Measure the time taken to move from the starting point to the ending point
using a stopwatch.
• Start the stopwatch once a signal is received, and stop after another
signal.
3. Use the formula ‘v = s/t’ to calculate the speed.
4. Repeat the steps at least three times, then calculate the average value/
speed.
Objective 4: Know and use the relationship between acceleration, change in
velocity and time taken: acceleration = change in velocity / time taken — a = (v
– u)/t
• Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
• Acceleration is measured in meter per second square ( m/s^2).
• Acceleration is a vector quantity.
• Acceleration = Change in velocity/time taken
• Deceleration means slowing down.
- E.g.: A sports car accelerates uniformly from rest to 24 m/s in 6s.
- A = v - u/ t => 24 - 0/6 => 4 m/s^2
Objective 5: Plot and explain velocity–time graphs
•The slope (gradient) of the
velocity-time graph tells us about
the acceleration.
•The steeper the slope, the greater
the acceleration.
•A negative slope means
deceleration.
•A horizontal line (slope = 0)
means a constant speed.
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Objective 6: Determine acceleration from the gradient of a velocity − time
graph
• Acceleration = gradient of velocity-time graph
• The object must be traveling in a straight line; its velocity is changing but its
direction is not.
• If the velocity-time graph is curved (rather than a straight line), the
acceleration is changing.
• If the graph is sloping down, the gradient of the graph is negative. So
deceleration is a negative acceleration.
• In these graphs, A is accelerating from rest, B is not accelerating and is
moving at a constant speed, C is decelerating, and D is accelerating at the
greatest rate.
Objective 7: Determine the distance travelled from the area between a
velocity−time graph and the time axis
• The area under a velocity-time graph is equal to the distance travelled by the
object in a particular time interval.
• Area of rectangle = width x height (base x height)
• Area of triangle = 1/2 x base x height (base x height/2)
• In this graph, Area 1, 3 and 5
are calculated by using the
triangle formula.
- E.g.: Area 1 = 1/2(b)(h) =
1/2(40)(17.5) = 350m, so the
distance travelled in Area 1 is
350m.
• Area 2 and 4 are calculated
using the rectangle formula.
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- E.g.: Area 2 = (b)(h) = (30)(17.5) = 525 m, so the distance travelled in Area 2
is 525m.
Objective 8: Use the relationship between nal speed, initial speed,
acceleration and distance moved: ( nal speed) 2 = (initial speed)2 + (2 ×
acceleration × distance moved) v^2 = u^2 + (2 × a × s)
- E.g.: A car accelerates steadily from rest at a rate of 2.5 m/s^2 up to a speed
of 16 m/s. Calculate how far the car moves during this period of
acceleration.
- v^2 = u^2 + 2as = 16^2 = 0^2 + 2(2.5)s = 256/5 = 5s/5 = 51.2 m
Chapter 2: Forces and Shape
Objective 1: Identify different types of force such as gravitational or
electrostatic
• Reaction Force
• Friction
• Field Forces:
- Gravitational Force
- Electrostatic
- Magnetic
Objective 2: Know that friction is a force that opposes motion.
• Forces that oppose motion include air resistance and friction.
Objective 3: Understand that force is a vector quantity
• The unit of forces is known as Newton (N)
• Force is a vector quantity.
Objective 4: Calculate the resultant force of forces that act along a line
• If no resultant force (F net = 0) acts on an object, it will not accelerate; it will
remain at rest or will continue to move with constant speed in a straight line
(constant velocity).
- E.g.: In the picture, the rope will be pulled
towards Person B with 20 N (20 N to the
right).
- This means that the object is accelerating.
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Chapter 3: Forces and Movement
Objective 1: Know and use the relationship between unbalanced force, mass
and acceleration: force = mass × acceleration (F = m × a)
• An object will not change its velocity unless there is an unbalanced force
acting on it.
• The acceleration depends on the size of the unbalanced force and the mass of
the object.
• The object may accelerate or decelerate depending on the direction of the
unbalanced force.
• Newton’s second law can be expressed as an equation: F = ma.
- E.g.: An object of mass 500g accelerates at 4 m/s^2. Calculated the force.
- Mass is measured in kg, so 500g to kg is 0.5 kg.
- F = ma => 0.5(4) = 2 N.
• Mass is inversely proportional to acceleration, so as mass increases,
acceleration decreases, and vice versa. O
Objective 2: Know and use the relationship between weight, mass and
gravitational eld strength: weight = mass × gravitational eld strength (w = m
× g)
• Weight, W (N) = mass, m (kg) x gravitational eld strength, g (N/kg)
• W = mg
• ‘g’ is also known as the acceleration due to gravity.
• On Earth, this is equal to 9.8 m/s^2 (or N/kg).
• Mass is a scalar quantity, whereas weight is a vector quantity.
- E.g.: An astronaut in a space suit with a complete life support pack has a
mass of 140 kg. How much will the astronaut weigh on the Earth? (Take
the strength of the Earth’s gravitational eld as 10 N/kg.)
- W = mg => 140(10) = 1,400 N
Objective 3: Know that the stopping distance of a vehicle is made up of the sum
of the thinking distance and the braking distance
• Stopping distance = Thinking distance + Braking distance
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• Thinking distance = the distance travelled in the time it takes the driver to
react (reaction time) in meters (m)
• The reaction time is de ned as a measure of how much time passes between
seeing something and reacting to it.
• Braking distance = the distance travelled under the braking force in meters
(m)
Objective 4: Describe the factors affecting vehicle stopping distance, including
speed, mass, road condition and reaction time
• The main factor that affects the thinking distance is the car’s speed, however
additional factors can affect the thinking distance.
• It is increased by tiredness, distractions (e.g. using a mobile phone),
intoxication (i.e. consumption of alcohol or drugs).
• Since these factors can affect the driver’s reaction time, they directly affect
the thinking distance.
• The main factor affecting the braking distance of a car is its speed.
• The greater the speed, the greater the braking distance will be.
• There are additional factors which affect the braking distance, such as the
vehicle’s condition and mass, and the road condition.
Objective 5: Describe the forces acting on falling objects (and explain why
falling objects reach a terminal velocity)
• An object moving through air experiences a force that opposes its
movement, called air resistance or drag.
• Falling objects reach a terminal, or maximum, velocity when the air
resistance (drag) force is equal (balances
out) weight.
• In the graph, Section A shows that there
is no air resistance on the parachutist.
From Section A to B, air resistance is
increasing but does not become equal to
the weight until Section C, where the
object reaches its terminal velocity. In
Section D, the parachute opens and drag
becomes greater than weight. From Section D to E, the parachutist
decelerates until Section F, where its forces are balanced again and the
parachutist is moving at a constant speed.
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