Topic 2 - Mechanics (P1) Flashcards
What is the definition of speed?
Speed is the rate of change of distance.
What is the definition of velocity?
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.
How is velocity measured?
Velocity is measured in ms⁻¹.
What is the difference between a vector quantity and a scalar quantity?
Vector quantities have both magnitude and direction; scalar quantities have only magnitude.
Give three examples of vector quantities.
- Displacement
- Velocity
- Acceleration
Give three examples of scalar quantities.
- Distance
- Speed
- Mass
Calculate the distance travelled by a man who runs around a 400m athletics track in 50 seconds.
Distance travelled = 400 m.
What is the displacement of a man who runs around a 400m athletics track?
Displacement = 0 m.
What is the average speed of a man who runs around a 400m track in 50 seconds?
Average speed = 8 m/s.
What is the average velocity of a man who runs around a 400m track?
Average velocity = 0 m/s.
Calculate the speed of a car that travels 200 km in 4 hours.
Speed = 50 km/h.
Calculate the velocity of a car that travels 200 km in a north-easterly direction in 4 hours.
Velocity = 50 km/h north-east.
What is the average speed for a 135 km journey that takes 2 hours?
Average speed = 67.5 km/h.
What is the average speed for a 135 km journey that takes 2 hours in m/s?
Average speed = 18.75 m/s.
Does a satellite in a circular orbit around the Earth have constant speed, constant velocity, both, or neither?
Constant speed but not constant velocity.
A car travels at a steady speed of 30 m/s, how far ahead of a coach traveling at 25 m/s will the car be after 1 minute?
Car will be 300 m ahead.
How far ahead of the coach will the car be after 30 minutes?
Car will be 9000 m ahead.
What does acceleration tell us?
Acceleration tells us how much an object speeds up by every second.
How is acceleration measured?
Acceleration is measured in ms⁻² (m/s/s).
If a car accelerates at 6 m/s², what does this mean?
The car’s speed increases by 6 m/s every second.
What is acceleration defined as?
Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity.
Calculate the car’s velocity after 2 seconds if it accelerates uniformly at 12 m/s² from rest.
Velocity after 2 seconds = 24 m/s.
Calculate the car’s velocity after 15 seconds if it accelerates uniformly at 12 m/s² from rest.
Velocity after 15 seconds = 180 m/s.
Calculate the car’s velocity after 30 seconds if it accelerates uniformly at 12 m/s² from rest.
Velocity after 30 seconds = 360 m/s.