Mechanics and Materials | AQA A-Level Physics (7408)
Mechanics and Materials
- 285 questions
- 10 subtopics
- Paper 1, and available on Paper 3
- Paper 1 and Paper 3
Mechanics and materials is examined on Papers 1 and 3, and is the largest topic in the first year.
It runs from vectors and moments through the equations of motion and Newton's laws to momentum and energy, then treats how materials deform under load.
Sample questions from Mechanics and Materials
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Scalars and vectors
State the mathematical relationship used to find the magnitude of the resultant of two perpendicular vectors A and B.
Show the answer
R = √(A² + B²), using Pythagoras' theorem. -
Moments
Why must the two forces forming a couple not act along the same line?
Show the answer
If they acted along the same line, they would cancel completely and produce no rotation; acting along different lines allows them to create a turning effect. -
Motion along a straight line
What does the area under a velocity–time graph represent?
Show the answer
The area under the curve equals the displacement. -
Projectile motion
State the equation used to calculate the vertical velocity of a projectile at a given time.
Show the answer
vᵧ = uᵧ + gt, where uᵧ is the initial vertical velocity, g is acceleration due to gravity, and t is time. -
Newton's laws of motion
What is the relationship between the direction of the resultant force on an object and the direction of its acceleration?
Show the answer
The resultant force has the same direction as the acceleration it produces. -
Momentum
How is the impulse determined when the force varies with time?
Show the answer
The impulse is found by calculating the total area under the force–time graph. -
Work, energy and power
State the equation for power in terms of force and velocity.
Show the answer
P = Fv, where F is the force and v is the velocity in the direction of the force. -
Conservation of energy
Define each term in the kinetic energy equation Eₖ = ½mv².
Show the answer
Eₖ is kinetic energy, m is mass, and v is velocity.
The 10 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Scalars and vectors | Adding and resolving vectors, and forces in equilibrium on an inclined plane. | 30 |
| Moments | The moment of a force, couples, the principle of moments, and the centre of mass. | 18 |
| Motion along a straight line | Displacement, velocity and acceleration, the kinematic equations, motion graphs, and measuring g. | 45 |
| Projectile motion | Treating horizontal and vertical motion separately, and the effect of friction, lift and drag. | 23 |
| Newton's laws of motion | The three laws, when F = ma applies, and drawing and resolving a free-body diagram. | 26 |
| Momentum | Conservation of linear momentum, impulse, and how force relates to rate of change of momentum. | 31 |
| Work, energy and power | Work done by a force at an angle, power, efficiency, and the area under a force-displacement graph. | 29 |
| Conservation of energy | Kinetic and gravitational potential energy, and energy transfers in a closed system. | 20 |
| Bulk properties of solids | Density, Hooke's law, the spring constant, stress, strain, elastic strain energy and stress-strain curves. | 44 |
| The Young modulus | Defining the modulus, reading it from a graph, and the wire-stretching experiment. | 19 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Physics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 3,682 questions with their answers.