Defintions

Question 1

Position

Answer 1

It is a measurement of a location, with reference to an origin. It is the place where the object is located.

Question 2

Distance

Answer 2

It is the length of the path travelled by the object.

Question 3

What is displacement?

Answer 3

Displacement is the change in position of an object.

Question 4

What are the differences between distance and displacement?

Answer 4

Distance: depends on the path, always positive
Displacement: independent of the path taken, can be positive or negative

Question 5

What is speed?

Answer 5

Average speed is the total distance travelled over a time interval and is measured in meters per second.

Question 6

What is velocity?

Answer 6

Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.

Question 7

What is acceleration?

Answer 7

Rate of the change in velocity.

Question 8

What is a ticker timer?

Answer 8

A ticker-timer is a timing device, which makes dots on a piece of paper at a set period - or time interval. When tape is pulled through the ticker-timer, a record is
made of both the distance and the time taken for the motion. The distance is obtained by measuring the length of the tape and the time is determined by multiplying the number of intervals by the period. When the tape is attached to a moving object, the motion of the object can be studied from the tape.

Question 9

Scalar

Answer 9

A physical quantity with magnitude only.

Question 10

Vector

Answer 10

A physical quantity with magnitude and direction.

Question 11

Constant velocity

Answer 11

When an object is moving with constant velocity, it does not change direction nor speed and therefore is represented as a straight line on a graph.

Question 12

Instantaneous velocity

Answer 12

The velocity of an object in motion at a specific point in time.

Question 13

Average velocity

Answer 13

Displacement divided by time

Question 14

Resultant vector

Answer 14

The single vector which has the same effect as the original vectors acting together.

Question 15

What does graphically mean?

Answer 15

Implies by scale diagram.

Question 16

How are bearings measured?

Answer 16

Clockwise from north.

Question 17

Component

Answer 17

A component is one of the vectors of two or more vectors which when added together give one the original vector.

Question 18

To Solve problems in Equilibrium, we can use:

Answer 18

Sum of forces up = Sum of forces down

Sum of forces left = Sum of forces right

Question 19

Triangular Law of Forces:

Answer 19

Three forces in equilibrium can be represented by the three sides of a closed triangle taken in order (i.e. head to tail)

An object will be in equilibrium when it is acted on by two or more forces that produce no resultant change in motion. If there is no change in motion, then the object is either stationary or moving at constant velocity (i.e. the object does not accelerate). In such situations, the forces are said to be balanced, (i.e. the forces cancel each other out and the resultant of the forces is zero). When these vectors are placed head-to-tail a closed triangle is formed.

Question 20

Terminal velocity

Answer 20

Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity attained by an object which has a constant applied force acting on it while moving through a frictional medium.