Linear Motion Flashcards
Define speed
Speed can be defined as the rate at which someone or something moves or is able to move.
Define velocity
Velocity is a quantity that designates how fast and in what direction an object is moving.
What is the difference between speed and velocity?
Speed is how fast an object is moving, while velocity is speed with a specific direction.
Define distance
Distance is the length travelled between 2 points.
Scalar quantity (only magnitude, no direction needed - doesnt matter if you go straight and back)
always positive (can’t be 0)
Define displacement
Displacement is the change in position of an object, measured as the shortest straight-line distance from the starting point to the ending point, and it includes direction.
Vector Quantity: Displacement has both magnitude (distance) and direction.
can be 0 - 5km west, 5km east - displacement is 0km. while distance is 10km
What is the difference between distance and displacement?
Distance is how much ground you cover, regardless of direction.
Displacement is how far you are from the starting point, considering the direction
Distance - positive, does not consider direction, scalar (only magnitude)
Displacement, can be positive, negative or zero, considers direction, vector quantity (magnitude - size or number, and direction)
What’s a vector?
A vector is something that has:
Magnitude: How big or strong it is (like a number or size).
Direction: Where it’s pointing (like north, south, up, down, etc.).
e.g. If you walk 5 meters north, that’s a vector.
The magnitude is 5 meters (the distance).
The direction is north.
What’s the difference between a scalar and vector quantity?
A scalar only has magnitude (size). It doesn’t have a direction.
Example: Walking 5 meters, but no mention of which direction
Vector has both a magnitude (size or number) and a direction (N E S W)
What is the difference between instantaneous and average speed?
The instantaneous speed is the speed of an object at any given time.
Average speed looks at the entire journey. Total distance and total time.
Ticker Timer notes: (TRY RECALL probs dont need)
A ticker timer can be used to record motion in the science lab. every 5th dot is used (0.1 sec) intervals for every 5th dot, greater distance between dots is fast, lower is slow. divide distance by time interval.
Define acceleration
Acceleration is how quickly something’s speed (or velocity) changes over time. 10/5 = 2m/s^2
(NOTES - NEGATIVE ACCELERATION = DECELERATION)
What is the difference between acceleration and velocity?
Velocity is how fast something is moving in a specific direction (measured in m/s). Acceleration is how quickly the velocity changes over time, like speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction (measured in m/s²). Velocity is about motion, while acceleration is about changes in that motion.
car travelling at 5m/s north vs car travelling at 5 m/s^2 north at 10 seconds, it will be 5m/s north still but for acceleration it will be 50 m/s velocity.
Velocity = constant motion.
Acceleration = increasing motion over time.
What is gravity in relation to acceleration - ball dropping?
Near the surface of the earth the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2
For example – a ball is dropped off a cliff at a starting velocity of 0 m/s.
After 1 second its velocity has increased to 9.8 m/s
After 2 seconds its velocity is 19.6 m/s (9.8 + 9.8)
The velocity continues to increase at 9.8 m/s/s
What is the general gradient (slope) in relation to a given graph?
rise/run - y axis over x axis.
e.g. on a d-t graph (displacement - time graph) the slope (gradient) is velocity.
What is a D-T graph and everything you need to know?
D-T graph is the displacement so its either positive (up) or negative (down). Its not distance cant be up and down, its just the length between 2 points
