Kinematics

Question 1

What is distance?

Answer 1

Total length covered by moving object, along the path taken
Direction of motion does not matter
SI unit: metre (m)

Question 2

What is displacement?

Answer 2

Straight-line distance covered by moving object, regardless of path taken
Direction needs to be specified, relative to reference point
SI unit: metre (m)

Question 3

What is the differences between scalar and vector quantities?

Answer 3

Scalar quantities Have only magnitudes while vector quantities have both maginitudes and direction

Question 4

What are some examples of scalar quantities?

Answer 4

Examples include distance, speed, mass, energy and time

Question 5

What are some examples of vector quantities?

Answer 5

Examples include displacement, velocity, acceleration and force

Question 6

What is speed?

Answer 6

Speed is the rate of change of distance.

Question 7

What is the formula for speed?

Answer 7

v = d/t

where
v = speed (in m/s)
d = distance (in m)
t = time (in s)
It is a scalar quantity like distance

Question 8

What is average speed?

Answer 8

The term “speed” that we use is usually the average speed, which assumes that the object travels at the same speed throughout the entire distance

Question 9

What is the formula for average speed?

Answer 9

average speed = total distance taken/total time taken

Question 10

What is velocity?

Answer 10

Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.

Question 11

What is the formula for velocity?

Answer 11

velocity = displacement/ time taken
It is a vector quantity (like displacement).
SI unit: m/s

Question 12

What is velocity as a vector quantity?

Answer 12

Velocity has both magnitude and direction.
Velocity measures speed in a specified direction.
Constant speed in same direction = constant velocity
Constant speed, direction changed = velocity changed

Question 13

What is acceleartion?

Answer 13

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

Question 14

What is the formula for acceleration?

Answer 14

a = v - u/t = Δv/Δt.

a = acceleration (in m/s2)
v = final velocity (in m/s)
u = initial velocity (in m/s), t = time (in s)
It is a vector quantity (like displacement and velocity).
An object accelerates when its velocity changes

Question 15

What is the difference between acceleration and deceleration?

Answer 15

Acceleration occurs only when
velocity increases (i.e. positive acceleration),
or
velocity decreases (i.e. negative acceleration)
Deceleration Refers only to when velocity decreases
Also called retardation

Question 16

What is uniform acceleration?

Answer 16

Uniform acceleration is when the rate of change of velocity is constant.

Question 17

What is Galileo’s Discovery?

Answer 17

Acceleration due to gravity g is a constant.

For objects close to the Earth’s surface, g = 9.8 m/s2. 🡪 g is approximately 10 m/s2.