Velocity and Acceleration Flashcards
what is the equation to use when calculating speed?
speed = distance/time
what is speed measured in?
m/s
what is the equation linking time and velocity?
velocity = displacement/time
how do you calculate the acceleration of an object?
acceleration = final speed - initial speed / time taken
what is acceleration measured in?
m/s/s or m/s^2
what sort of quantity is speed and what does this mean?
speed is a scalor quantity - this means that only size matters
what sort of a quantity is acceleration and what does this mean?
acceleration is a vector quantity - this means that both size and direction matter
what do straight lines mean in distance-time graphs?
constant/uniform speed/velocity
what does the steepness indicate in a distance-time graph?
shallow = low speed steep = higher speed
what does a perfectly horizontal line mean in a distance-time graph?
the object is stationary
what does an upward line indicate in a distance-time graph?
the object is moving forwards
what does a downward line indicate in a distance-time graph?
the object is moving backwards
what does the space below the line in a speed-time graph tell us?
the distance an object has travelled
