Unit 1 Forces and Motion Flashcards
What is a distance time graph?
A graph in which measures how far something travels in a certain period of time, and the different speeds that occur at different stages.
What does the gradient of a line represent in a distance time graph?
The speed of which the object is travelling at
What is the formula for speed?
change in distance/change in time = speed
s = d/t
What does a straight diagonal line represent in a distance time graph?
Constant Speed
What does a straight horizontal line represent in a distance time graph?
Stationary
What is the speed of an object that is stationary?
0m/s
We know this because the gradient of a straight horizontal line is 0 in a distance time graph (gradient = speed)
What does a curve up mean in a distance time graph?
Acceleration: Gradient/Speed is increasing
Changing speeds
What does a curve down mean in a distance time graph?
Deceleration: Gradient/Speed is decreasing
Changing speeds
How do you find the gradient of a curve in a distance time graph?
You can draw a tangent (a straight line on the curve) and figure out the gradient from the line onwards.
Which axis do the distance and time go in a distance time graph?
Time = x axis
Distance = y axis
What is the formula for acceleration when you are given the time?
acceleration (m/s2) = change in velocity (m/s) / time (s)
How can you find the change in velocity?
v - u
final velocity - initial velocity
Is acceleration a vector or scalar quantity? What does this mean?
Vector quantity
Meaning it have a number and a direction. We show the direction by using negative or positive numbers.
Positive = Accelerating
Negative = Decelerating
When you calculate the acceleration, is it accurate?
No, because it is just the average velocity in that period of time.
If the line in the distance time graph was straight diagonal - that means it is constant. Meaning that the rate of acceleration is the same throughout.
But if the line were a curve then the rate of acceleration wouldn’t be the same throughout. It could be different velocities at different stages averaged out together.
What is acceleration?
The rate of change in velocity. How quickly something can speed up or slow down.
What is the formula for acceleration when you are given the distance/
2a (m/s2) s (m) = v2 - u2 (m/s)
What is the a velocity of an object that’s initial velocity is stationary?
0m/s
What is a velocity time graph?
A graph that measures how an objects velocity changes overtime.
In a velocity time graph, which axis do the velocity and time go?
Velocity = y axis
Time = x axis
What does the gradient represent in a velocity time graph?
acceleration = change in velocity/change in time
What does a constant positive gradient represent (upwards diagonal line) in a velocity time graph?
Constant acceleration
What does a constant negative gradient represent (downwards diagonal line) in a velocity time graph?
Constant deceleration
What does the flat sections represent in a velocity time graph?
Constant velocity
How do you calculate the distance travelled in a velocity time graph?
By finding the area under the curves/lines - answer in meters.
*To calculate area under curve lines just count the boxes that make up the area - not accurate but it’s fine.