Describing motion along a line

Ice hockey is a team sport played on ice. Players try to hit a disc called a puck into the other team’s goal.

(Source: © Alexandr Grant / Shutterstock)

Diagram 1 shows a puck travelling across some smooth ice.

State the formula linking average speed, distance moved and time taken.

The puck travels at a constant speed of 2.8 m/s.

Calculate the distance moved by the puck in a time of 3.5 s.

Diagram 2 shows a puck travelling across some rough ice.

The rough ice exerts a frictional force on the puck.

Draw a labelled arrow on diagram 2 to show the force of friction acting on the puck.

Explain how the force of friction changes the velocity of the puck.

A tennis ball is dropped from a height above the ground.

Diagram 1 shows the tennis ball at the instant it is released.

Diagram 1

On diagram 1, draw a labelled arrow to show the force acting on the tennis ball at the instant it is released.

Diagram 2 shows the tennis ball at the instant it hits the ground.

Diagram 2

Just before hitting the ground, the tennis ball is moving downwards at a velocity of 2.5 m/s.

Just after hitting the ground, the tennis ball is moving upwards at a speed of 1.9 m/s.

The mass of the tennis ball is 0.057 kg.

Calculate the change in momentum of the tennis ball when it hits the ground.

Give the unit.

The ball is in contact with the ground for a time of 6.0 ms.

Calculate the force exerted on the ball by the ground.

Give the direction of this force.

The coefficient of restitution can be used to determine how high a ball will bounce. The higher the value of the coefficient of restitution, the higher the ball will bounce.

Diagram 3 shows a ball being dropped from a height (h₁) above the ground.

The ball hits the ground and bounces.

At the top of its bounce, the ball reaches a height (h₂) above the ground.

The coefficient of restitution can be determined using the formula

A student decides to do an investigation to compare the coefficient of restitution for different types of ball.

Design a method for the student’s investigation.

Your answer should include details of

• the variables in the investigation

• how to obtain accurate measurements

• how to obtain reliable results

You may add to diagram 3 or draw an additional diagram to help your answer.

A student investigates the speed of sound by making a loud sound in front of a large wall a long distance away.

The diagram shows the positions of the student and the wall.

The sound reflects off the wall and back to the student.

Give an appropriate method for measuring the distance between the student and the wall.

The student uses a stopwatch to determine the time taken for the sound to travel from them to the wall and back again.

The distance from the student to the wall is 65 m.

The student measures a time of 0.35 seconds when the sound has travelled to the wall and back again.

Calculate the speed of sound from the student’s data.

Evaluate this method for determining an accurate value for the speed of sound.

Explain an improvement to the student’s method.

In 1947, the Railton Mobil Special was the first ground vehicle to achieve a speed of more than 400 miles per hour.

During a test, the vehicle travelled at a speed of 403 miles per hour.

Calculate a speed of 403 miles per hour in metres per second (m / s). [1 mile = 1600 m]

During the test, the vehicle travelled past two markers. The markers were placed a known distance apart.

Describe how these markers could be used to determine the speed of the vehicle.

The diagram shows the vehicle travelling at a constant speed.

One of the horizontal forces acting on the vehicle has been drawn.

Complete the diagram by drawing a labelled arrow for the other horizontal force acting on the vehicle.

The diagram shows two students doing an experiment to measure the speed of sound in air.

• both students stand 100 m away from a large flat wall

• student A makes a sound by hitting two blocks of wood together

• the sound waves travel to the wall and reflect back to the students as an echo

• student A hits the blocks together again when the echo is heard

• student A continues to hit the blocks together every time an echo is heard

• student B starts a timer when the blocks are hit together and stops the timer when the blocks have been hit together 20 more times

Give a reason why the students do not stand nearer to the wall.

The students repeat their method five times.

The table shows the students’ results.

The students decide that one of their tests shows an anomalous result.

Circle the anomalous result in the table.

Suggest a reason for the anomalous result.

Calculate the mean time between starting and stopping the timer.

Give your answer to a suitable number of decimal places.

The speed of sound in air can be calculated using the formula

Use the students’ results to calculate a value for the speed of sound in air.

The photograph shows a toy called a marble run.

A student lifts a marble from the table to the top of the marble run at point A. They release the marble from point A and it rolls through pipes to reach the bottom of the marble run at point B.

The marble leaves the marble run at point B and rolls across the table.

As the marble rolls, energy is transferred due to the different forces acting on the marble.

Describe the energy transfers from before the student lifts the marble to when the marble reaches point B of the marble run.

The student wants to measure how much energy the marble loses as it moves from point A to point B.

The student needs to measure the speed of the marble as it leaves the marble run at point B.

Describe a method the student could use to measure this speed.

The difference in height between point A and point B is 0.21 m.

The mass of the marble is 5.5 g.

The marble leaves the marble run at point B with a speed of 0.76 m/s.

Calculate the energy lost by the marble as it rolls from point A to point B.

A student investigates how the time taken for a ball to roll down a slope changes with the distance from the bottom of the slope.

This is the student’s method.

• place a ball on the slope 10 cm from the bottom of the slope

• release the ball and start a stopwatch

• stop the stopwatch when the ball arrives at the bottom of the slope

• record the time taken for the ball to roll down the slope

• repeat for different distances from the bottom of the slope

Complete the table by placing a tick () to show which variables are the independent, dependent and control variables in this investigation.

The table shows the student’s results.

Plot the student’s data on the grid.

Draw a best fit curve.

The student concludes that the results obey this relationship

distance ÷ (time²) = constant

Use the student’s data to deduce whether the student’s results support this conclusion.

This is a question about reflection.

Which diagram shows a light ray correctly reflected from a mirror?

Name the equipment needed to measure the angle of incidence on a ray diagram.

Light from a laser on the Earth reflects off special mirrors on the Moon.

The graph shows the data from a light sensor attached to the laser.

The first peak shows when the light leaves the laser and the second peak shows when the light has returned from the Moon.

Determine the time taken for the light to travel from the Earth to the Moon and back again.

The speed of light is 3.010⁵km/s.

Calculate the total distance travelled by the light from the laser.

[average speed = distance moved time taken]

Calculate the distance from the Earth to the Moon.

The graph shows how the thinking distance and the braking distance vary with the speed of a car.

Which of these does not affect thinking distance?

Which of these would increase the braking distance of the car?

Determine the stopping distance of the car when the speed of the car is 20 m / s.

State the formula linking average speed, distance moved and time taken.

Determine the reaction time of the driver of the car.

Calculate the mean braking acceleration of the car as it brakes to a stop from an initial speed of 30 m / s.

acceleration =_........ m / s²

A squash ball is made of rubber and used to play a game called squash.

A student observes that the squash ball bounces higher after its temperature increases.

The student designs an investigation to see how the temperature of the ball affects the maximum height after it bounces.

State the independent and dependent variables in the student’s investigation.

independent variable

dependent variable

The diagram shows the ball at its maximum height after it bounces.

Determine the distance the ball moves from the floor to its maximum height.

Assume the ball does not change shape when it bounces. [1 cm on diagram = 4 cm in laboratory]

squash ball

floor

Design a method that the student could use to investigate how the temperature of the ball affects the maximum height after it bounces.

Your answer should include details of

• apparatus needed

• measurements required

• control variables

You may draw a diagram to support your answer.

An ultrasonic distance-measuring device can be used to measure the length of a room.

The device emits a pulse of sound with a frequency of 40 kHz.

The device also emits a bright beam of red visible light.

Explain what is meant by a frequency of 40 kHz.

A sound wave from the device travels at 345 m / s.

State the formula linking wave speed, frequency and wavelength.

Calculate the wavelength of the sound wave.

The device emits a sound wave.

The sound wave travels to the wall, reflects back to the device and is received by the device.

The distance from the device to the wall is 2.35 m.

Calculate the time between the sound wave being emitted and received by the device.

Suggest why the device emits visible light.

Sound waves and light waves can have different frequencies and wavelengths.

Describe three other differences between sound waves and light waves.

You may draw diagrams to support your answer.

A steel ball is fired from a launcher on an adjustable table.

A student investigates how the range of the steel ball varies with the height of the table.

Describe a method for the student’s investigation.

Your answer should include details of

• the variables in the investigation

• how the investigation will be valid (a fair test)

• how the range will be measured accurately

The graph shows the student’s results.

Draw the curve of best fit.

Estimate what the height of the table would be when the range of the projectile is 0.60 m.

Justify why the student has plotted a line graph rather than a bar chart.

The range of the projectile is related to the table height by this formula

table height range = launch speed ×

Using data from the graph, show that the launch speed of the projectile is approximately 3 m / s.

A driver of a car sees an obstruction in the road ahead and must stop the car.

State the formula linking average speed, distance travelled and time taken.

A car travels at 21 m / s.

The driver’s reaction time is 0.14 seconds.

Calculate the distance travelled by the car during the driver’s reaction time.

The car experiences a braking force of 7600 N.

The car has a mass of 1200 kg.

State the formula linking force, mass and acceleration.

Calculate the acceleration of the car.

acceleration =_........ m / s²

Calculate the braking distance travelled as the speed of the car is reduced from 21 m / s to 0 m / s.

A student does an experiment to determine the acceleration due to gravity, g.

The diagram shows the apparatus used.

This is the student’s method.

• connect both light gates to a data logger

• drop a steel ball from rest at the top of the transparent tube

• record the speed of the ball at each light gate

• record the time taken for the ball to fall from light gate A to light gate B

The box shows the data recorded by the data logger.

Show that the acceleration of the steel ball is approximately 9.6 m/s².

acceleration =_........ ²

Explain why the student’s value for the acceleration of the steel ball is lower than the accepted value for the acceleration due to gravity, g.

Calculate the distance between the light gates.

The student changes the distance between the light gates by varying the position of light gate B.

The student measures the time taken for the steel ball to fall from light gate A to light gate B when the light gates are different distances apart.

The table shows the student’s results.

Plot a graph of the student’s results on the grid.

Draw the curve of best fit.

Explain how the graph shows that the steel ball is accelerating as it falls.

Two students do an experiment to measure the speed of sound in air.

They use two blocks of wood that make a loud noise when hit together.

They do their experiment outside in a wide‑open space.

Describe how the students should use their equipment to measure the speed of sound in air.

You may draw a diagram to support your answer.

The table shows the students’ results.

Calculate the mean time for the last row in the table.

The students think that some of their time readings are anomalous.

State how the students should deal with these anomalous readings.

Explain which distance in the table is likely to give the most accurate value for the speed of sound in air.

A speed camera is positioned at the side of a road.

The camera measures the speed of a vehicle on the road to determine whether the vehicle is travelling too fast.

The camera takes two photographs of the vehicle 0.25 s apart.

The photographs are used to measure the distance travelled by the vehicle during this time.

State the formula linking average speed, distance moved and time taken.

In the time between the two photographs, the car travels a distance of 6.5 m.

Calculate the average speed of the car.

The speed limit of the road is 80 kilometres per hour.

Determine whether the car is exceeding the speed limit.

The velocity-time graph shows how the velocity of a lorry changes with time.

Explain how the graph shows that the lorry has a constant acceleration.

State the formula linking acceleration, change in velocity and time taken.

Calculate the acceleration of the lorry.

acceleration =_........ ²

When a rubber ball is dropped it hits the floor and bounces.

Design an investigation to determine how the temperature of the rubber ball affects the maximum height the ball reaches after it bounces.

In your answer, refer to

how to change the temperature of the ball the variables that need to be controlled how to obtain high-quality data

You may draw a labelled diagram to support your answer.

A student uses an oscilloscope to determine the speed of sound.

The diagram shows the oscilloscope trace produced by the sound wave.

The student uses two microphones and a ruler to determine the wavelength of the sound wave.

He finds that the wavelength is 1.4 m.

State the formula linking the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave.

Use the oscilloscope trace to calculate the speed of the wave.

Another student uses this method to determine the speed of sound.

Step 1 The student stands 50 m away from her teacher, measuring the distance with a metre ruler.

Step 2 The teacher makes a loud sound and flashes a light at the same time.

Step 3 The student starts the stopwatch when she sees the flash of light.

Step 4 She stops the stopwatch when she hears the loud sound.

The speed of sound is calculated using the formula

Evaluate whether this method could produce an accurate value for the speed of sound in air.

When a meteor explodes, light waves and sound waves are produced at the same time.

State the formula linking average speed, distance moved and time taken.

A person standing 1860 m away from the site of a meteor explosion hears the sound of the explosion 5.6 s later.

Calculate the speed of sound in air.

A scientist stands a long way from the meteor explosion.

Explain why he hears the explosion at a different time to when he sees it.

Sound is a longitudinal wave.

Describe what is meant by the term longitudinal wave.

In 2013, a meteor exploded above Russia.

Just before the meteor exploded, it was travelling at a speed of 19.2 km/s.

The mass of the meteor was estimated to be 1.25 × 10⁷kg.

State the formula linking kinetic energy, mass and speed.

Calculate the energy in the kinetic store of the meteor just before the meteor exploded.

A student investigates the speed of sound in air.

The student sets up two microphones, A and B, as shown in Diagram 1.

The microphones are connected to a datalogger.

A sound is made to the left of microphone A.

The datalogger records the time when the sound wave reaches each microphone.

The student uses the data to calculate the time taken for the sound wave to travel from microphone A to microphone B.

Describe how the student could determine the speed of sound in air using his calculated value of time taken.

Suggest why the student does not use a stop clock in this investigation.

The student investigates how the speed of sound in air varies with temperature.

He places several Bunsen burners in the space between the microphones, as shown in diagram 2.

He uses this method

• light all the Bunsen burners on a low heating flame

• measure the air temperature in three places between the microphones using three temperature sensors

• use the datalogger to record the time taken for a sound wave to travel from microphone A to microphone B

• determine the speed of sound

The student repeats this method as the air temperature increases.

Suggest why it is important for all the Bunsen burners to burn the same amount of gas each second.

The table shows the student’s results.

	Temperature in	C		Time	Speed
sensor 1	sensor 2	sensor 3	mean	in ms	in m/s
20.3	20.2	19.9	20.1	4.37	344
29.9	31.3	30.0	30.4	4.29	350
39.7	41.0	39.0	39.9	4.22	358
51.0	50.2	49.3	50.2	4.15	362
59.8	61.5	58.6		4.08	368

Calculate the mean temperature for the last row in the table.

Give your answer to a suitable number of decimal places.

The student plots his results and draws the line of best fit.

Draw a circle around the anomalous result.

370

State how the student should deal with the anomalous result.

Explain why a line graph is the correct type of graph to display these results.

Describe the relationship between the speed of sound in air and temperature.

This question is about using radio waves to track an aeroplane.

aeroplane

Radio waves are emitted from an aerial at an airport, and are then reflected back to the aerial from an aeroplane.

The time taken between emitting the radio waves and receiving the waves back at the aerial is 1.9 milliseconds.

Show that the aeroplane is approximately 300 km away from the aerial.

[speed of radio waves 3.0 × 10⁵ km/s]

As the aeroplane travels away from the airport, it sends a signal to the airport using radio waves with a wavelength of 1.2 m.

When the signal is received at the airport, the wavelength is 1.1 × 10^-6 m longer than when it is emitted by the aeroplane.

Calculate the speed of the aeroplane using the formula

change of wavelength speedof aeroplane wavelength
speedof radio wave

[speed of radio waves = 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s]

A bus transports passengers.

The bus stops at certain points in its journey to let passengers get on or off the bus.

The distance-time graph shows part of the bus journey, with sections labelled A to G.

Give the letters of the sections where the bus is stationary.

Calculate the speed of the bus during section C of the journey.

Give your answer in m / s.

Explain what the graph shows about the speed of the bus in section E compared with the speed of the bus in section A.

Another bus travels a distance of 7.0 km in a time of 14 minutes.

This bus travels at a constant velocity.

Complete the velocity-time graph to show the motion of this bus.

Diagram 1 shows two identical buzzers connected with springs.

Spring A is connected to a post.

A force acts on the apparatus for a short period of time, pulling both buzzers to the right.

During this time, buzzer A moves 2 cm and buzzer B moves 4 cm.

Explain why buzzer B travels with twice the average speed of buzzer A.

A student connects the microphone to an oscilloscope to measure the frequency of sound from the two buzzers while the force acts on the arrangement.

Explain the difference in the measured frequencies of sound from buzzer A compared to buzzer B.

Diagram 2 shows an oscilloscope trace.

The trace represents the sound wave received by the microphone from buzzer A.

Measure the period of the sound waves from buzzer A.

Give your answer in standard form.

Diagram 3 shows two distant galaxies and the Earth.

Light emitted from a nearby star has a wavelength of 590 nm.

The light from an identical star in galaxy P arrives at the Earth.

The wavelength of the light from the star in galaxy P is 600 nm.

Calculate the change in wavelength for light from the star in galaxy P.

Galaxy Q is twice as far away from the Earth as galaxy P.

Suggest how the speed of galaxy Q relates to the speed of galaxy P.

Suggest a value for the change in wavelength of light from an identical star in galaxy Q when the light arrives at the Earth.

Explain how comparing the speeds of the two galaxies provides evidence for the Big Bang theory.

A student investigates how the surface material of a ramp affects the average speed of a block sliding down the ramp.

Design a suitable method for the student’s investigation.

Your answer should include

● the measuring equipment needed

● details of the independent, dependent and control variables

● how the average speed will be determined

You may include a diagram to help your answer.

Justify why the student should display their results as a bar chart.