Topic 9 - Distance, Speed and Acceleration

Question 1

What is the equation for average speed?

Answer 1

Total distance/total time

Question 2

What is a scalar quantity?

Answer 2

Only has a magnitude, no direction.

Question 3

What is a vector quantity?

Answer 3

Has a magnitude and a direction

Question 4

What kind of quantity is speed?

Answer 4

Scalar

Question 5

What kind of quantity is velocity?

Answer 5

Vector

Question 6

What is distance?

Answer 6

How far an object moves

Question 7

What kind of quantity is distance?

Answer 7

Scalar

Question 8

What is displacement?

Answer 8

The distance an object moves in a straight line from a starting point to a finishing point.

Question 9

What kind of quantity is displacement?

Answer 9

Vector

Question 10

What is the equation for acceleration?

Answer 10

Change in velocity/time taken

Question 11

What is acceleration measured in?

Answer 11

m/s2

Question 12

Key Equation 1

Answer 12

Distance = (initial speed x time) + ½ (acceleration x time squared)

x = ut + ½at2

Question 13

Key Equation 2

Answer 13

Distance = ½ (initial speed + final speed) × time

x = ½ (u + v) t

Question 14

Key Equation 3

Answer 14

(Final speed)2 – (initial speed)2 = 2 × acceleration × distance.
v2 - u2 = 2ax

Question 15

Key Equation 4

Answer 15

Final speed = initial speed + (acceleration x time).

v = u + at

Question 16

What does a distance-time graph have on the y-axis?

Answer 16

Distance

Question 17

What does a distance-time graph have on the x-axis?

Answer 17

Time

Question 18

On a distance-time graph, what does a straight line represent?

Answer 18

Motion at a constant speed

Question 19

On a distance-time graph, what does a horizontal line represent?

Answer 19

A stationary object

Question 20

How is deceleration shown on a distance-time graph?

Answer 20

The gradient will become less steep

Question 21

How is acceleration shown on a distance-time graph?

Answer 21

The gradient will become steeper

Question 22

What does a speed-time graph have on the y-axis?

Answer 22

Speed

Question 23

What does a speed-time graph have on the x-axis?

Answer 23

Time

Question 24

On a speed-time graph, what does a horizontal line represent?

Answer 24

No acceleration

Question 25

On a speed-time graph, what does a positive gradient represent?

Answer 25

Acceleration

Question 26

On a speed-time graph, what does a negative gradient represent?

Answer 26

Deceleration

Question 27

On a speed-time graph, what does a horizontal line on the x-axis represent?

Answer 27

A stationary object

Question 28

On a speed-time graph, what does a curved line represent?

Answer 28

An object is accelerating or decelerating at a rate that is not constant.

Question 29

How do you find the distance travelled by an object using a speed-time graph?

Answer 29

Calculate the area under the graph

Question 30

What is the area of a triangle?

Answer 30

1/2 x base x height

Question 31

What is the area of a rectangle?

Answer 31

Base x height

Question 32

What is the area of a trapezium?

Answer 32

1/2(a+b)h

Question 33

What is stopping distance?

Answer 33

The distance it takes a car to stop in an emergency

Question 34

How can the stopping distance be calculated?

Answer 34

Thinking distance + braking distance

Question 35

What is reaction time?

Answer 35

The time it takes for a driver to react to a situation, during which the car carries on moving.

Question 36

What is thinking distance?

Answer 36

The distance travelled between when the driver realises they need to brake and when they apply the brakes.

Question 37

What is the braking distance?

Answer 37

The distance the car travels between the driver applying the brakes and the car stopping.

Question 38

What are the factors affecting thinking distance?

Answer 38

Tiredness, distractions, drugs/alcohol

Question 39

How does tiredness affect the thinking distance?

Answer 39

Tired drivers will react more slowly in an emergency, stopping distance is larger.

Question 40

How do distractions affect the thinking distance?

Answer 40

Distractions will cause a driver to react more slowly in an emergency e.g. mobile phones or small children, stopping distance is larger.

Question 41

How do drugs and alcohol affect the thinking distance?

Answer 41

Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol will react more slowly in an emergency, stopping distance is larger.

Question 42

What are the factors affecting braking distance?

Answer 42

Initial car speed, condition of the car, road conditions

Question 43

How does initial car speed affect the braking distance?

Answer 43

The faster a car is travelling, the further it will travel before it comes to a stop.

Question 44

How does the condition of the car affect the braking distance?

Answer 44

If a car’s brakes or tyres are in a poor condition, then the braking distance will increase.

Question 45

How does the condition of the road affect the braking distance?

Answer 45

Wet or icy conditions will increase the braking distance.