Topic 2 - Forces & Motion - Describing Motion Flashcards
What is a scalar
only has a magnitude
What is a vector
has both a magnitude and a direction
How can a vector quantity be represented
Using vector arrows
How do vector arrows represent vectors
The length of the arrow represents the magnitude
The arrow points in the associated direction
Give three examples of vector quantities
1) velocity
2)displacement
3)force
Give examples of scalar quantities
1)temperature
2)time
3)mass
4)speed
5)distance
6)energy
What is velocity
The speed of an object in a specific direction
On a distance/time graph what value does the gradient of the line represent
The speed
On a displacement/ time graph what value does the gradient of the line represent
The velocity
What must be done to calculate speed at a given time from a distance- time graph for an accelerating object
Draw a tangent to the curve at the required time
Calculate the gradient of the tangent
How can the distance travelled by an object be calculated from a velocity- time graph
It’s equal to the area under the graph
On a velocity/time graph what does the gradient of the graph represent
The acceleration
