Kinematics

• What is distance in physics?

  Distance is a measure of how far an object travels.
• Why is distance considered a scalar quantity?

  Because the direction is not important in its measurement.
• What is displacement in physics?

  Displacement is a measure of how far something is from its starting position, along with its direction.

  
• How is displacement different from distance?

  Displacement is a vector quantity, while distance is a scalar quantity.

  
• What does the total distance of 300 m and a displacement of 100 m indicate in the example?

  It indicates that the athletes traveled 300 m but ended up 100 m from their starting point.
• Why is distance a scalar quantity?

  Because it describes how far an object has traveled overall, without considering direction.
• Why is displacement a vector quantity?

  Because it describes how far an object is from where it started and in what direction.

  
• If a person hikes a longer distance than their displacement, what does this imply?

  This implies that the person took a longer path than the straight line from start to finish.

  
• What is the displacement of the athletes after running 300 m on a 400 m track?

  The displacement is 100 m to the right.
• What happens to displacement if the athletes run the full 400 m?

  The final displacement would be zero.
• What does a negative displacement indicate?

  It indicates that the final position is in the opposite direction to the starting point.

  
• What is the formula for average speed?

  Average speed = total distance / time taken.
• What are the SI units for speed?

  The SI units for speed are meters per second (m/s).
• How is velocity defined in physics?

  Velocity is defined as the rate of change of displacement.
• Why is velocity considered a vector quantity?

  Because it describes both magnitude and direction.
• What is the difference between speed and velocity?

  Speed is a scalar quantity, while velocity is a vector quantity.
• Can velocity have a negative value? Why?

  Yes, velocity can have a negative value if the object is moving in the opposite direction.
• What is instantaneous speed?

  Instantaneous speed is the speed of an object at any given point in time.
• How can you find instantaneous velocity on a displacement-time graph?

  By drawing a tangent at the required time and calculating the gradient of that tangent.

  
• What is the formula for average velocity?

  Average velocity = total displacement / total time taken.

  
• How can average velocity be calculated from initial and final velocities?


  Average velocity can be calculated using the formula: \( \overline{v} = \frac{u + v}{2} \).
• How do you find average velocity on a displacement-time graph?

  By dividing the total displacement (on the y-axis) by the total time (on the x-axis).

  
• What is acceleration defined as?

  Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity.
• Why is acceleration considered a vector quantity?

  Because it describes how much an object's velocity changes every second, including direction.
• What is the formula for average acceleration?

  Average acceleration = change in velocity / time taken.
• How is change in velocity calculated?

  Change in velocity is calculated as final velocity minus initial velocity: \( \Delta v = v - u \).
• What is instantaneous acceleration?

  Instantaneous acceleration is the acceleration of an object at any given point in time.
• What does negative acceleration indicate?

  Negative acceleration indicates that an object is slowing down (deceleration).
• What is the unit of acceleration?

  The unit of acceleration is meters per second squared (m/s²).
• How do you calculate the change in velocity of an object?


  By using the formula \( \Delta v = v - u \).
• How do you calculate acceleration if you know the change in velocity and time taken?

  By using the formula \( a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} \).

  
• What does a negative value for acceleration indicate?

  A negative value for acceleration indicates that the object is slowing down or accelerating in the negative direction.
• What is the formula for calculating deceleration?

  Deceleration can be calculated using the same formula as acceleration: \( a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} \), where \( \Delta v \) is negative.
• What are the key differences between distance and displacement?

  • Distance is a scalar quantity; displacement is a vector quantity.
  • Distance measures total path length; displacement measures the shortest path from start to finish.
  • Distance cannot be negative; displacement can be negative.

  
• What are the key differences between speed and velocity?

  • Speed is a scalar quantity; velocity is a vector quantity.
  • Speed measures how fast an object is moving; velocity measures how fast and in what direction.
  • Speed cannot be negative; velocity can be negative.
• What are the steps to calculate average speed and average velocity?

  1. Average speed = total distance / time taken.
  2. Average velocity = total displacement / total time taken.
  3. Average velocity can also be calculated using \( \overline{v} = \frac{u + v}{2} \) if initial and final velocities are known.
• What are the key points about acceleration?

  • Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
  • It is a vector quantity measured in m/s².
  • Can be positive (speeding up) or negative (slowing down).
• What are the kinematic equations linking displacement, velocity, and acceleration?


  1. \( v = u + at \)
  2. \( s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2 \)
  3. \( v^2 = u^2 + 2as \)
  4. \( s = \frac{(u + v)}{2}t \)

  
• What are the kinematic equations used in physics?

  The kinematic equations relate displacement, velocity, and acceleration in motion.
• What does instantaneous speed represent?

  Instantaneous speed represents the speed of an object at a specific moment in time.