3 - Motion Flashcards
Average Speed
Distance over time for the entire region of interest.
Braking Distance
The distance traveled between the brakes being applied and the vehicle coming to a stop. It is affected by vehicle and road conditions.
Displacement
The direct distance between an object’s starting and ending positions. It is a vector quantity and has both direction and magnitude.
Displacement-Time Graphs
Plots showing how displacement changes over a period of time. The gradient gives the velocity. Curved lines represent acceleration.
Free-Fall
An object is in free fall when the only force acting on it is the force of gravity.
Instantaneous Speed
The exact speed of an object at a specific given point.
Projectile Motion
The motion of an object that is fired from a point and then only gravity acts upon it. Split the motion into horizontal and vertical components for solving.
Reaction Time
The time taken to process a stimulus and trigger a response. It is affected by alcohol, drugs, and tiredness.
Stopping Distance
The sum of thinking distance and braking distance for a vehicle.
Thinking Distance
The distance traveled in the time it takes for the driver to react. It is affected by alcohol, drugs, and tiredness.
Velocity-Time Graphs
Plots showing how velocity changes over a period of time. The gradient gives acceleration. Curved lines represent changing acceleration.
Velocity
The rate of change of displacement. It is a vector quantity and has both direction and magnitude.
