A Flashcards
What is the average speed (m/s) of walking
1 m/s
What is the average speed (m/s) of running
5
What is the average speed (m/s) of cycling
7
What is the average speed (m/s) of olympic cycling
20
What is the average speed (m/s) of a strong wind
13
What is the average speed (m/s) of a car
22
What is the average speed (m/s) of a train
56
What is the average speed (m/s) of sound
330
What is reaction time
The time from seeing an event and acting on it - e.g pressing a stopwatch
How do speed cameras work
They are placed 100m apart
They take a photo when you enter the zone and when you leave
Your speed is calculated using the time it took for both photos to be taken and the distance
Why is some equipment better than others
(Emg using a light gate over a stopwatch)
Some are more accurate and have a higher resolution
They also may record data to more significant figures / decimal places
What is one issue with older speed cameras
They couldn’t ensure you maintained a constant speed due to the small 10m distance
People could slow down and quickly speed up to avoid the cameras
What are instantaneous speed cameras
Speed cameras that measure speed at a single point
How do instantaneous speed cameras work
They send electromagnetic waves onto an oncoming vehicle
The camera measures the time taken for subsequent pulses of reflected light to reach the camera
The time taken between the reflected light is used to calculate distance
How do speedometers measure speed
The calculated speed from how fast the wheel is moving (rotations per second) and the wheels circumference to find distance
They then divide the distance by time
What is one benefit of using light gates
They are more effective at measuring time as they eliminate reaction time
They also have a higher resoloution
How can reaction time be trained
Studies have shown playing video games improve hand eye coordination.
They are used to improve hand eye coordination of soldiers
What can affect your reaction time
Alcohol - it is a depressant (slows nervous system)
Being distracted / tired
What is the ruler drop experiment used for
To measure reaction time.
A ruler is dropped with no stimuli by one person
Another has to catch it
A chart is used to convert the distance you caught it at to reaction time
What is thinking distance
The distance you travel before reacting to a stimulus
What is the breaking distance
Distance a car travels after the brakes on a car have been pressed
What factors affect thinking distance
The same factors that affect reaction time affect thinking distance
Alcohol / drugs
Being distracted by people / the radio / a phone
What is the stopping distance
The total distance travelled (braking distance + thinking distance)
What is the purpose of having speed limits
To ensure that cars do not crash into one another if one stops.
By going at lower speeds the stopping distance will be lower
What factors affect breaking distance
Quality of the road
Quality of the cars wheel / brakes
How are velocity time graphs used to calculate stopping distance
First section is the thinking distance
When the velocity begins to decrease that is the breaking distance
Why are seatbelts important
When wearing a seatbelt, if the car suddenly stops the belt exerts a force on you.
This force stops you from being flung forward and hitting the dashboard
How does the size of deceleration and the force applied during a crash relate
The larger (faster) the deceleration the greater the force
This can cause seatbelts to break
How can you calculate the force applied to a person by a seatbelt in a car crash
Force = mass × acceleration
What force do you feel if you are accelerating at twice the acceleration due to gravity
You experience 2gs
This is a force equal to your weight
Why do cars have airbags, and cars with crumples zones
They increase the time of collision, so the rate of deceleration is slower, this means the force applied is weaker and less damage is done to your body
What is the average mass of a person
70kg
What is the impulse (speeds)
The impulse is change in momentum and is calculated by doing force × time
How do you calculate acceleration
Change in speed ÷ time
What are renewable sources
An energy source that will not run out
Advantages and disadvantages of using fossil fuels
A:
Reliable
Power stations are cheap to maintain
Provides enough energy
Cheap to extract
D:
Slowly running out
Can cause damage to the environment (e.g.oil spillages)
Produces sulfur dioxide (causing acid rain)
Greenhouse gases
Advantages and disadvantages of using nuclear enegy
Advantages:
Reliable
Provides enough energy
Clean (no greenhouse emissions)
Not many accidents
Disadvantages
Cost to build / decommission a nuclear power plant is high
Produces nuclear waste (difficult to dispose of)
Risk of meltdown (chernobyl)
What energy sources are mostly used for heating
Fossil fuel
Biofuels
The sun (solar heating)
Water pumped into hot rock