Distance-time graphs

The photograph shows a rocket being launched at Cape Canaveral in the United States of America.

(Source: © Geopix / Alamy Stock Photo)

The table gives some information about the motion of the rocket during the first 5.0 seconds of its launch.

Calculate the final velocity of the rocket after 5.0 seconds.

Assume that the acceleration remains constant during this time.

Calculate the distance the rocket travels during the 5.0 seconds.

Assume that the acceleration remains constant during this time.

Sketch a velocity-time graph and a distance-time graph showing how the motion of the rocket changes during the first 5.0 seconds of its launch.

You do not need to include values on the axes.

Diagram 1 shows a set of masses attached to a spring, which is suspended from a support.

After the masses are added, the length of the spring is 14.6 cm.

The student measures the extension of the spring as 11.5 cm.

Calculate the original length of the spring.

The student removes the masses and notices that the spring does not show elastic behaviour.

Predict a value for the new length of the spring after the masses have been removed.

The student puts the masses back on the spring.

The student then pulls the masses down and releases them.

The masses vibrate up and down in a vertical direction, as shown in diagram 2.

The distance–time graph shows how the distance between the top of the masses and the support changes with time as the masses vibrate.

Explain how the gradient of the graph shows that the masses accelerate as they vibrate.

Add crosses (X) to the distance–time graph to show all the times when the masses are not moving.

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.

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.

The motion of an object can be represented using graphs.

The graphs, P, Q, R and S, show different types of motion.

The table lists some types of motion.

Place one tick (✓) in each row of the table to show which graph represents which type of motion.

State the feature of a velocity‑time graph that can be used to determine the distance travelled by an object.

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.