Motion Graphs Flashcards
A speed is a ‘scalar quantity.’ What does this mean?
A speed has a magnitude (a number and unit) but no direction.
So ‘4 m/s’ is a speed.
Which of the following is a speed?
A. 0.8 m/s to the right
B. 15 seconds
C. 10 m/s² downwards
D. 3.2 m/s
Only D is a speed.
(A is a velocity, B is a time, C is an acceleration)
A velocity is a ‘vector quantity.’ What does this mean?
A velocity has a magnitude AND a direction.
- So ‘4 m/s to the left’ is a velocity.*
- The magnitude is 4 m/s, the direction is ‘to the left.’*
Which of the following is a velocity?
A. 10 m/s² downwards
B. 15 seconds
C. 3.2 m/s
D. 0.8 m/s to the right
Only D could be a velocity.
(A is an acceleration, B is a time, C is a speed)
What are the units of acceleration?
The units of acceleration are m/s²
Which of the following is an acceleration?
A. 15 seconds
B. 10 m/s² downwards
C. 3.2 m/s
D. 0.8 m/s to the right
Only B is an acceleration.
(A is a time, C is a speed, D is a velocity)
The distance-time graph for a car is shown here.
What does the graph tell you about the car’s motion?
The car is not moving
OR
The car’s speed is zero.
The distance-time graph for a horse is shown here.
What does the graph tell you about the horse’s motion?
The horse is moving at a constant speed.
The distance-time graphs for two kittens are shown here.
Which kitten has the higher speed, A or B?
Kitten A is moving with a higher speed.
What feature of a distance-time graph indicates an object’s speed?
The gradient
The distance-time graphs for two kittens are shown below.
Explain how you can tell that kitten A is moving faster than B.
Graph A is steeper than B.
Graph A has a bigger gradient than B.
The distance-time graphs for two mice are shown below.
Which has the higher speed, mouse A or mouse B, and how can you tell?
Mouse B has the higher speed,
since the gradient of graph B is greater than graph A
OR
since graph B is steeper than graph A
This is the velocity-time graph for a camel.
Describe the motion of the camel.
The camel’s speed is increasing
OR
The camel is accelerating
OR
The camel’s velocity is increasing
This is the velocity-time graph for a camel.
What feature of the velocity-time graph could be used to calculate the camel’s acceleration?
The gradient
Describe the motion of a shark, whose velocity-time graph is shown here.
The shark is moving with constant velocity
OR
The shark is moving with zero acceleration
A buzzard’s velocity-time graph is shown here.
Describe the buzzard’s motion.
The buzzard is decelerating
OR
The buzzard is slowing down
OR
The buzzard’s speed/velocity is decreasing
Here are the velocity-time graphs for two unicycling clowns, A and B.
Describe the motion of the two clowns. [2 marks]
The clowns are moving at a constant velocity. [1 mark]
Clown A is moving faster/with greater velocity than clown B. [1 mark]
The distance time graphs for two goldfish are shown below.
How does the motion of goldfish A compare to the motion of goldfish B?
Goldfish A has a greater acceleration (than goldfish B)
The velocity-time graphs for two snails are shown below.
Which snail has the greater acceleration, and how can you tell? [2 marks]
Snail B has the greater acceleration [1 mark]
Since the gradient of graph B is greater than A [1 mark]
OR
Since the graph B is steeper than A [1 mark]
What feature of this velocity-time graph shows the distance travelled?
The area under the graph shows the distance travelled.
What feature of this velocity-time graph shows the distance travelled?
The area under the graph shows the distance travelled.
This is the velocity-time graph for a mongoose.
Calculate the mongoose’s acceleration.
Acceleration = change in velocity ÷ change in time
OR a = Δv ÷Δt
so a = 15 ÷ 3
= 5 m/s²
This is the velocity-time graph for a tugboat.
Calculate the tugboat’s acceleration.
Acceleration = change in velocity ÷ change in time
OR a = Δv ÷Δt
so a = -6 ÷ 3
= -2 m/s²
