Cambridge International AS and A level Physics

d The area of a triangle = 12 × base × height. Use your answer from c to write down the
area of the triangle in terms of a and t.
e Write down the complete equation for displacement s in terms of the two areas.
f Which of the five quantities from question 1 is not involved in this equation?

5 Equation 4 has to be deduced from the equations 1 and 2, using algebra.

a Write out equation 1. Rearrange it so that time t is its subject.

b Write out equation 2. Substitute for t using your answer to part a.
c Rearrange the equation to give an expression which has the form of ‘the difference of two
squares’.
d Make v2 the subject of the equation.
e Which of the five quantities from question 1 is not involved in this equation?

Exercise 2.3 Using the equations of motion

When using the equations of motion, you need to identify the ‘suvat’ quantities
involved and the equation that links them.
1 A truck is moving at 12 m s −1. It accelerates uniformly at 0.75 m s −2 for 20 s.

a Calculate the velocity of the truck after this time.

b Calculate the average velocity of the truck while it is accelerating.
c Use your answers to a and b to calculate the distance the lorry travels while it is accelerating.
10
d Check that you get the same answer to c using the equation:
TIP
s = ut 21 + at 2
Because the four
suvat equations
2 A moving train decelerates at a rate of 0.2 m s −2 for a time of 50 s. In this time it travels a distance
are connected to
each other, you of 2000 m. Use one of the equations of motion to deduce the train’s velocity just before it started
can usually find to accelerate. (This is question 4 from Exercise 2.1 but now you can solve it more directly using
a way of using one of the equations of motion.)
an alternative
equation to check 3 A car is stationary. It accelerates at 0.8 m s −2 for 10 s and then at 0.4 m s −2 for a further 10 s. Use
an answer. the equations of motion to deduce the car’s final displacement. You will have to split the journey
into two parts, since the acceleration changes after 10 s.

4 A car is being tested on a track. The driver approaches the test section at a speed of 28 m s −1. He
then accelerates at a uniform rate between two markers separated by 100 m. The car reaches a
speed of 41 m s −1.

a Calculate the car’s acceleration.

b Calculate the time during which the car is accelerating.
 Chapter 2: Accelerated motion

Exercise 2.4 Motion under gravity

When an object moves in free fall under gravity, the only force acting on it is its weight,
which acts vertically downwards. Near the surface of the Earth, the acceleration due
to gravity is g = 9.81 m s−2 (approximately) vertically downwards. You can use the
equations of motion to solve problems involving motion under gravity.
1 Give the sign, positive or negative, of the force due to gravity near the surface of the Earth.
2 A stone is thrown vertically upwards. Eventually it falls to the ground.
TIP
When considering a Copy and complete this table to show the signs, positive or negative, of the quantities
motion under shown.
gravity, we need
to use vector Quantity Displacement Velocity Acceleration
quantities. We have
stone moving upwards
to be careful to
take into account stone at highest position
the directions stone falling downwards
of forces and
velocities. A useful b Which of these velocity–time graphs represents the motion of the stone?
sign convention is Explain your choice.
to regard upwards v v v v
as positive,
downwards as
negative.
0 0 0 0
0 t 0 t 0 t 0 t

11
A B C D

3 A child throws a ball vertically upwards and catches it when it returns to the ground. The ball’s
initial upward velocity is 6.5 m s −1.

a Calculate the height to which the ball rises. Think about the ball’s velocity at its
highest point.
b Calculate the time the ball spends in the air. Think about the ball’s final velocity.

The child is standing on the edge of a cliff 55 m high when she throws the ball. She allows the
ball to fall to the bottom of the cliff.

c Calculate the speed with which the ball reaches the ground at the foot of the cliff.
d Calculate the time the ball spends in the air. Remember to consider both the upward and
downward parts of the ball’s movement.

4 An object that is fired or thrown upwards at an angle is called a projectile. This diagram shows
the path of a projectile – in this case, an arrow – fired at 45° to the horizontal with an initial
velocity of 24 m s −1. It then moves freely through the air, so that the only force acting on it is
gravity. It lands some distance away on the level ground:

45°

To calculate the distance travelled by the arrow, we must first calculate the time it spends in
the air. To do this, we consider its vertical motion.
 Cambridge International AS and A level Physics

a Calculate the vertical (upward) component of the arrow’s initial velocity.

b What is the arrow’s vertical displacement when it lands on the ground?
c Calculate the time the arrow spends in the air.

Now we can consider the arrow’s horizontal motion.

d No horizontal forces act on the arrow. What is its horizontal acceleration?

e Calculate the horizontal component of the arrow’s initial velocity.
f Calculate the distance travelled horizontally by the arrow. (You have calculated the time
taken in part c and the arrow’s horizontal velocity in part e.)

5 A projectile travels the greatest horizontal distance on level ground if it is initially fired at 45°
to the horizontal. Calculate the distance travelled by the arrow in question 4 if it was fired at
50° to the horizontal, at the same initial velocity as before. You can follow the same logical
approach as in question 4.

Exam-style questions
1 a Define acceleration. [1]
A train is travelling at 40 m s −1 when the driver sees a red signal at a distance of 2.2 km ahead.
The driver applies the brakes so that the train slows down with uniform acceleration and stops
as it reaches the signal.

b Calculate the train’s acceleration as it is braking. [3]

12 c Calculate the time taken for the train to come to a halt. [2]
d Sketch a velocity–time graph for this part of the train’s journey. State how your graph
shows that the train’s acceleration is uniform. [2]
e Indicate on your graph the area that represents the distance travelled by the train. [1]

2 In an experiment to determine g, the acceleration of free fall, a ball-bearing is released so that

it falls through a trapdoor, as shown in this diagram:

electromagnet
ball-bearing

h
timer
trapdoor

The timer starts when the ball is released and stops when the ball reaches the trapdoor.

a Explain how you would determine g from the height h and the time taken t. [3]
b The timer used is very accurate and a ruler is used to measure h. Suggest two
sources of uncertainty in the experiment and explain in each case how they
affect the calculated value for g. [4]
 Chapter 2: Accelerated motion

c In an attempt to determine g using projectile motion, a student fires a metal ball with an
initial velocity of 12.0 m s −1 and at an angle of 45° to the horizontal, as shown below. The ball
lands at a distance of 14.7 m on level ground. (You may assume air resistance is negligible.)

path of ball

45°
0
0
x

By considering the ball’s horizontal motion, calculate the time taken for the ball to travel
this distance. [2]
d By considering the ball’s vertical motion, calculate a value for the acceleration of 13
free fall. [2]