Linear and Angular Motion | Edexcel A-Level Physical Education (9PE0)
Linear and Angular Motion
- 59 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 1: scientific principles of physical education
- Component 1
Linear and Angular Motion is examined in Component 1, Scientific principles of physical education.
It covers distance, displacement, speed and acceleration, distance–time, speed–time and velocity–time graphs, angular motion and moment of inertia and conservation of angular momentum.
Sample questions from Linear and Angular Motion
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Distance, displacement, speed and acceleration
How is speed defined, and how is it calculated?
Show the answer
Speed is the rate of change of distance, measured in m/s. Speed = distance ÷ time. -
Distance, displacement, speed and acceleration
Define acceleration and give the equation used to calculate it.
Show the answer
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. Acceleration = (final velocity − initial velocity) ÷ time taken, measured in m/s². -
Distance–time, speed–time and velocity–time graphs
How does a distance–time graph show a sprinter accelerating out of the blocks?
Show the answer
The line curves upwards, becoming steeper as time passes. An increasing gradient means the speed is increasing. -
Distance–time, speed–time and velocity–time graphs
How does a velocity–time graph show deceleration?
Show the answer
A line sloping downwards shows the velocity falling. The negative gradient is a deceleration, as when a sprinter slows after the finish line. -
Angular motion and moment of inertia
Define angular velocity and state its units.
Show the answer
Angular velocity is the rate of rotation, the angle turned through per second. Angular velocity is measured in radians per second, rad/s. -
Angular motion and moment of inertia
How does the mass of a performer affect moment of inertia?
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A heavier performer has a larger moment of inertia for the same body shape. A heavier gymnast therefore needs more torque to start or stop rotating. -
Conservation of angular momentum
Describe the relationship between moment of inertia and angular velocity during flight.
Show the answer
Moment of inertia and angular velocity are inversely proportional when angular momentum is conserved. A halved moment of inertia gives double the angular velocity. -
Conservation of angular momentum
How does a figure skater slow a spin before stopping?
Show the answer
The skater extends the arms and free leg to raise the moment of inertia. Angular velocity falls as angular momentum is conserved, and the skater leaves the spin under control.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Distance, displacement, speed and acceleration | Linear motion, distance and displacement, scalars and vectors, speed, average speed and velocity, worked calculations for a 400 m lap, Usain Bolt's 9.58 s, a hockey player and a marathon, and acceleration and deceleration. | 16 |
| Distance–time, speed–time and velocity–time graphs | The axes of motion graphs, gradients of distance–time and velocity–time graphs, standing still, constant speed and acceleration, the area under a velocity–time graph, deceleration, the elite 100 m sprinter and timing gates. | 14 |
| Angular motion and moment of inertia | Angular motion and eccentric force, the diver's take-off, the three axes of rotation, angular velocity and radians with a worked somersault, moment of inertia and its two factors, the sprinter's leg and the gymnast on the beam. | 14 |
| Conservation of angular momentum | Angular momentum and its conservation in flight, contact with the ground, moment of inertia against angular velocity, the diver tucking and opening out, worked diver and skater calculations, and the trampolinist's tuck and pike. | 15 |
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
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,108 questions with their answers.