P5: Describing Motion Physics GCSE

• What is distance a measure of?

  How far an object travels
• What type of quantity is distance?

  Scalar quantity
• What does displacement measure?

  How far something is from its starting position
• What type of quantity is displacement?

  Vector quantity
• If the athletes run 300 m but end up 100 m from the start, what is their displacement?

  100 m
• What would be the displacement if the athletes ran 400 m?

  Zero
• What is speed a measure of?

  Distance traveled every second
• What type of quantity is speed?

  Scalar quantity
• How is average speed calculated?

  Distance divided by time
• What are the units for speed?

  Metres per second (m/s)
• What does non-uniform motion refer to?

  Motion that is changing
• What can changing motion involve?

  Changing speed, direction, or both
• What is a typical speed for a person walking?

  About 1.5 m/s
• What is a typical speed for a car?

  Varies based on design and purpose
• What is the typical speed of sound in air?

  330 m/s
• What is the typical speed of sound in seawater?

  1500 m/s
• How can speed be measured?

  By timing how long it takes to travel a distance
• What equipment can be used to measure distance accurately?

  Metre rule, tape measure, trundle wheel
• What is the purpose of light gates in measuring speed?

  To measure time accurately
• How does a single light gate measure speed?

  By timing how long the light gate is blocked
• What is the equation for calculating speed?

  Speed = distance / time
• How do you convert hours into seconds?

  Multiply by 3600
• What is the average speed of Florence Griffith Joyner during her 100 m race?

  9.53 m/s
• What is the difference between speed and velocity?

  Velocity includes direction
• Why does velocity change in circular motion?

  Direction of travel is always changing
• What does a distance-time graph represent?

  Distance varies over time
• What does a straight line on a distance-time graph indicate?

  Constant speed
• What does a steep slope on a distance-time graph indicate?

  Large speed
• What does a shallow slope on a distance-time graph indicate?

  Small speed
• What does a flat, horizontal line on a distance-time graph indicate?

  Object is stationary
• What two components are important in a vector quantity?

  Magnitude and direction
• How does velocity differ from speed?

  Velocity includes direction, speed does not
• What does a distance-time graph represent?

  Distance of an object over time
• What does a flat, horizontal line on a distance-time graph represent?

  Object is stationary
• How is changing speed represented on a distance-time graph?

  By a curve
• What does an increasing slope on a distance-time graph indicate?

  Speed is increasing (accelerating)
• What does a decreasing slope on a distance-time graph indicate?

  Speed is decreasing (decelerating)
• What information can be derived from a distance-time graph?

  • Constant speed
  • Magnitude of speed
  • Object's stationary status
  • Changing speed represented by curves
• How long does Ose spend reading his book?

  40 minutes
• Which section of the graph represents Ose running home?

  Section C