UNIT 2 GCSE PHYSICS 2.1.

2 Forces and Motion 4

RESULTANT FORCE, MASS AND ACCELERATION

 The acceleration of an object is determined by the resultant force acting on the object and the
mass of the object. Resultant force (F), mass (m) and acceleration (a) are related by the equation:
a = F/m or F = m x a

F is the resultant force in newton (N). resultant force = mass x acceleration

m is the mass in kilogram (kg).
a is the acceleration in metre per second squared (m/s2).
F = ma

(newton, N) (kilogram, kg) (metre/second2, m/s2)

 The gradient of a distance-time graph represents speed.
F = ma

 Calculation of the speed of an object from the gradient of a distance-time graph. (HT) F(N)

m = F/a A = F/m
 The velocity of an object is its speed in a given direction.
m (kg) a(m/s2)

 The acceleration of an object is given by the equation:

a = v - u
t
 The NEWTON (N) is the SI unit of force.

a is the acceleration in metre per second squared (m/s2).

v is the final velocity in metre per second (m/s). 1 newton (N) is that resultant force which gives a
u is the initial velocity in metre per second (m/s). mass of 1 kilogram (kg) an acceleration of 1 metre
t is the time taken in second (s).
per second2 (m/s2).

 The gradient of a velocity-time graph represents acceleration.

 Calculation of the acceleration of an object from the gradient of a velocity-time graph. (HT)

 Calculation of the distance travelled by an object from a velocity-time graph. (HT)

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 UNIT 2 GCSE PHYSICS 2.1.2 Forces and Motion 5

SOME SPEED EXAMPLES

SPEED

 Speed is the term which describes how fast

 A snail at full
a body is moving.
speed.

For example, if a bullet travels 350 metres in

each second, its speed is said to be 350 m/s.

 Speed is calculated using the following equation :  World 100m record

holder Usain Bolt
(time = 9.58 s).
speed = distance travelled
time taken
s = d/t
 Cheetah moving in
for the kill at nearly
d = s x t full speed.
d (m)

s (m/s) t (s)
 Earth’s speed as it
rotates about its
axis.
s = d/t t = d/s

 Earth’s orbital speed

 PRACTICE QUESTIONS (1) on its yearly journey
around the Sun.
1 A car on a motorway travels 3.6 km in 2 minutes. Calculate :
(a) The car’s speed in m/s.
(b) The further distance it would travel in 5 minutes.

2 A bullet is fired from a rifle with a speed of 450 m/s. How long does it take to strike  Speed of light
a target which is 20 m away? in a vacuum.

3 A pulse of laser light takes 1.3 s to travel from the Earth to the Moon. Given that
light travels at 3.0 x 108 m/s in a vacuum, calculate the distance travelled.

© 2011 FXA
UNIT 2 GCSE PHYSICS 2.1.2 Forces and Motion  PRACTICE QUESTIONS (2) 6

1 Fig 1. opposite shows the

DISTANCE-TIME GRAPHS
distance-time graphs for a
powerboat A, an ocean-going 14 A
In this type of motion graph DISTANCE is plotted along the y-axis against TIME
along the x-axis. yacht B and a small motor

distance/km
boat C which are all travelling
12
GRADIENT of a distance-time graph = SPEED in the same direction.

(a) How far did each vessel 10

travel in 500 s?
Look at the distance-time graphs shown below and fill in the gaps. 8
(b) Use the graph to calculate
the speed of :
1. Gradient of graph = 6 B
8
(i) The powerboat, A.
Speed =
distance/m

6 4
4 (ii) The yacht, B.

2 So this is a distance-time graph for 2 C

(c) The motor boat C had to
0 a body which is at ……………………………...
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 stop for a while.
i.e. …………………………………………….
0
time/s
(i) How long did it stop? 0 100 200 300 400 500
2. For graph A, the gradient is ………………………
Fig 1. time/s
8
A and = (ii) How far did it travel
= m/s in the 500 s?
distance/m

6
For graph B, the gradient is ……………………….
4 B (iii) What was its average speed for the whole journey?
and =
= m/s
2

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
So A and B are distance-time graphs
time/s for bodies moving at constant (steady)
speeds of ……………………………………… m/s 2 A long distance runner is training for a race. His training method is to run at a
constant speed for 500 m and then stop for 20 s. His first 500m run takes
70 s and the second 500 m run takes 80 s.
3. For graph C, the slope is …………………………….
so the speed is ………………………………….
C D (a) Sketch a distance-time graph to show his two runs and his rest period.
So this is the distance-time graph for a
distance/m

body which is ……………………………………………..

(b) Calculate his speed over the first 500 m run.
For graph D, the slope is ……………………………..
(c) Calculate his speed over the second 500 m run.
so the speed is ………………………………….
So this is the distance-time graph for a
time/s body which is ……………………………………………….

© 2011 FXA
UNIT 2 GCSE PHYSICS 2.1.2 Forces and Motion 7

 The SI unit of acceleration is : metre per second2 (m/s2)

VELOCITY

 Speed and velocity are not the same.

The VELOCITY of a moving object is its speed in a specified direction.

 Consider an object having a

 A body is said to be moving at a steady or constant speed if it covers an initial velocity (u), which
equal distances in equal time intervals. then accelerates with a
constant acceleration (a) and u v
For a body to move at constant velocity, it must cover equal distances in reaches a final velocity (v) in
equal time intervals and its direction of travel must stay the same. a time (t). t

For example, an object can be Then, the acceleration (a) is

5 m/s 5 m/s
moving in a circle at a constant given by :
speed of, say 5 m/s, and yet
its velocity is continually acceleration = change in velocity
changing. time taken

This is because even though its

5 m/s
speed stays the same, its direction a = v - u
motion is continually changing and
velocity is speed in a given direction. 5 m/s
t

ACCELERATION
 CONSTANT or UNIFORM acceleration means that the velocity
increases by the same amount every second.
 Generally speaking, the acceleration of a body is a measure of how quickly
it speeds up or slows down, but an acceleration can also be the result of a
change of direction.
 A DECELERATION is simply a negative acceleration and describes
the movement of a body that is slowing down.
The acceleration of a body is the rate at which its velocity changes.

(m/s)

acceleration = change in velocity

time taken
(m/s2) (s)

© 2011 FXA
 UNIT 2 GCSE PHYSICS 2.1.2 Forces and Motion 8

VELOCITY-TIME GRAPHS
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS (3)
 In this type of motion graph VELOCITY is plotted along the y-axis
1 The Bloodhound SSC rocket car against TIME along the x-axis.
shown opposite accelerates
uniformly from rest to reach a GRADIENT of a velocity-time graph = ACCELERATION
velocity of 80 m/s in 4.0 s.

It then continues to move at AREA ENCLOSED by a velocity-time graph = DISTANCE TRAVELLED

this velocity for a while before
it decelerates uniformly for
 Look at the VELOCITY-TIME graphs shown below and fill in the gaps.
3.0 s and comes to rest.
1. Gradient of graph =
8
Calculate : (a) The acceleration during the first 4.0 s.
Acceleration =
6

distance/m
(b) The deceleration during the final 3.0 s. 4

2 So this is a velocity-time graph for an

(c) The average velocity during the first 4.0 s.
0 object which is moving with a
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
……………………………… velocity of…………………….
(d) The distance travelled during the first 4.0 s. time/s

2. For graph A, the gradient is ………………………

and =
A
2 (a) A car is being driven along a 8

motorway at the speed limit of 6 For graph B, the gradient is ……………………….

distance/m
31 m/s when the driver sees that 4 B and =
there has been a crash up ahead
2
and slams on the brakes.
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 So A and B are velocity-time graphs for
If the car decelerates uniformly objects moving with constant accelerations
time/s
at 6 m/s2, how long will it take of …………………….. m/s2 and ………………… m/s2.
to come to rest?
3. Graph C is the velocity-time graph for an
D
object whose acceleration is …………………………..
C

(b) In a crash, a car is brought to distance/m

in a very short time.
Graph D is the velocity-time graph for an
Calculate the deceleration object whose acceleration is …………………………..
produced in a vehicle that crashes
at 25 m/s and is brought to rest time/s

in 0.01 s.

© 2011 FXA
 UNIT 2 GCSE PHYSICS 2.1.2 Forces and Motion 4 The velocity-time graph shown 9
opposite represents the motion
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS (4) of a formula-1 racing car over

velocity/m/s
a 60 second period. 50
1 Look at the velocity-time graphs of moving objects shown below :
In which graph is the object : 40
(a) How far does the car travel
during the first 20 s? 30
velocity

velocity

velocity

velocity
20

time time time time

(b) Between the times of 20 and 10
A B C D 30 s, what is the deceleration
of the car? 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
(a) Not accelerating? (b) Accelerating from rest? time/s
(c) Decelerating? (d) Accelerating at the greatest rate?

(c) How far does the car travel

2 Sketch velocity-time graphs for : during the deceleration
period described in (b)?
(a) An object moving with a constant velocity of 20 m/s.

(b) An object accelerating uniformly at 5 m/s2 for 10 s.

(c) An object decelerating uniformly at 2 m/s2 for 6 s. (d) How far does the car travel
between the 30th and 40th
second of its motion?
3 The velocity-time graph shown opposite
is an approximate representation of
the motion of an elevator in an office
velocity/m/s

A B
3
block.
(e) What is the total distance travelled by the car over the whole 60 s period?
(a) Briefly describe the motion represented
by sections :
(i) OA, (ii) AB and (iii) BC O C
0 (f) Calculate the car’s average velocity over the whole motion?
of the graph. 0 2 6 9
time/s

(b) Use the graph to calculate :

(i) The elevator’s initial acceleration.

(ii) The total distance travelled by the elevator.

(iii) The elevator’s average speed over the whole motion.

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