Topic 1 - Key concepts in physics

Question 1

What does a vector quantity have that a scalar quantity does not?

Answer 1

A scalar quantity has magnitude and a vector quantity has magnitude and direction

Question 2

What type of quantity are velocity and speed?

Answer 2

Speed is scalar and velocity is a vector

Question 3

What is the formula for velocity?

Answer 3

V= s/t Velocity = distance/ time

Question 4

Give 3 examples of scalar and vector quantities

Answer 4

Scalar: Speed, temperature and distance
Vector: Displacement, velocity and force

Question 6

What is the equation for speed?

Answer 6

s=d/t

Question 7

What is the equation for velocity?

Answer 7

v=s/t

Question 8

What is the difference between scalar and vector quantities?

Answer 8

Scalar quantities only have magnitude whereas vector quantities have magnitude and direction

Question 9

What type of quantities are speed and velocity?

Answer 9

Speed is a scalar quantity and velocity is a vector quantity

Question 10

Give 3 examples of vector and scalar quanities

Answer 10

Scalar: Distance, temperature and speed
Vector: Velocity, force and displacement

Question 11

What is acceleration?

Answer 11

The rate of change in velocity

Question 12

What is the formula for acceleration?

Answer 12

acceleration = change in velocity divided by time or 2as = v squared - u squared where s = distance, v = final speed and u = starting speed

Question 13

In a distance time graph what are the x and y axes?

Answer 13

Distance = y
Time = x

Question 14

What can we interpret from the gradient of a distance time graph

Answer 14

The speed

Question 15

What does a straight horizontal line mean on a distance time graph?

Answer 15

The object is stationary

Question 16

What does a curve mean on a distance time graph?

Answer 16

The object is accelerating/decelerating

Question 17

How do we find the velocity of a point on a curve in a distance time graph?

Answer 17

Draw a tangent at the point and use it to find the gradient of the line

Question 18

On a velocity time graph what do the x and y graphs represent?

Answer 18

X = time and Y = velocity

Question 19

What does a flat horizontal line mean on a velocity time graph?

Answer 19

The object is moving at a constant velocity

Question 20

What does the gradient of a velocity time graph mean?

Answer 20

It shows the acceleration/deceleration

Question 21

What is the area under the curve representative of in a velocity time graph?

Answer 21

The distance travelled

Question 22

What is a force?

Answer 22

A push or pull that acts on an object as a result of that object’s interaction with its surroundings

Question 23

What is force measured in and what type of quantity it it?

Answer 23

It is measured in newtons and is a vector quantity

Question 24

What are contact and non-contact forces?

Answer 24

A contact force is a force that can only be exerted when objects are physically touching and a non contact force can be exerted without objects physically touching

Question 25

Give 3 examples of contact and non-contact forces?

Answer 25

Contact: normal contact force, tension force and friction force Non contact: Magnetic force, gravitational force and electrostatic force

Question 26

What is newton's first law?

Answer 26

A resultant force is required to change the motion of an object

Question 27

What will happen to a moving object that has no resultant force acting upon it?

Answer 27

It will keep moving at the same velocity

Question 28

What is Newton's second law?

Answer 28

A resultant force will cause an object to accelerate in the direction of the force

Question 29

What is the formula for Newton's second law?

Answer 29

F = ma

Question 30

How do free body arrows represent force?

Answer 30

The force is represented by the arrows, the magnitude by the length of the arrows and the direction by the way the arrow is pointing

Question 31

What is the resultant force of an object?

Answer 31

The overall force of an object, taking into account all the different forces acting on it

Question 32

What happens if two forces with equal magnitude but opposite direction act on the same object and what do we say about the object?

Answer 32

The forces will cancel each other out and the object will not move - the object is in equilibrium

Question 33

What is a bearing?

Answer 33

An angle measured clockwise from the north direction with 3 digits

Question 34

What is mass?

Answer 34

The amount of matter in an object that is measured in kilograms

Question 35

What is weight?

Answer 35

The force acting on an object due to gravity that is measured in newtons

Question 36

What does weight of an object depend on?

Answer 36

The strength of the gravitational field acting on it and the mass of the object

Question 37

What is the formula for weight?

Answer 37

Weight = mass x gravitational field strength (W=mg)

Question 38

What is earth's gravitational field strength?

Answer 38

9/8 or 10 depending on what you are told