Motion and Forces | Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Physics, Foundation tier (1SC0)
Motion and Forces
- 194 questions
- 11 subtopics
- Paper 5
- Paper 5
Motion and Forces is examined in Paper 5, Physics 1.
It covers scalar and vector quantities, examples of vectors and scalars, and velocity, speed, distance, time and distance-time graphs, acceleration and the equation v squared minus u squared, velocity-time graphs and free fall, measuring speed in the laboratory, and typical everyday speeds, Newton's first law, and investigating force, mass and acceleration, Newton's second and third laws, weight, mass and gravitational field strength, reaction time, stopping distance and large decelerations and factors affecting stopping distance and reaction time.
Sample questions from Motion and Forces
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
-
Scalar and vector quantities
What is meant by a vector quantity?
Show the answer
A vector quantity has both a magnitude and a specific direction. -
Examples of vectors and scalars, and velocity
State whether force is a scalar or a vector quantity.
Show the answer
Force is a vector, since it has both magnitude and direction. -
Speed, distance, time and distance-time graphs
A cyclist rides 9 km in 30 minutes. Calculate the average speed in metres per second.
Show the answer
9000 m ÷ 1800 s = 5 m/s. -
Acceleration and the equation v squared minus u squared
What does a negative value of acceleration tell you about an object?
Show the answer
It means the object is slowing down, which is a deceleration. -
Velocity-time graphs and free fall
An object moves at a constant 12 m/s for 8 s. Use the area under its velocity–time graph to calculate the distance travelled.
Show the answer
The area is 12 × 8 = 96 m. -
Measuring speed in the laboratory, and typical everyday speeds
Suggest one way of reducing random error when a moving trolley is timed by hand.
Show the answer
Repeat the timing several times and calculate a mean time. -
Newton's first law, and investigating force, mass and acceleration
In the trolley investigation into force, mass and acceleration, how is the accelerating force applied to the trolley?
Show the answer
A hanging mass on a string over a pulley pulls the trolley, and the weight of that mass provides the force. -
Newton's second and third laws
A trolley of mass 0.8 kg is pulled by a resultant force of 2 N. Calculate its acceleration.
Show the answer
2 ÷ 0.8 = 2.5 m/s².
The 11 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Scalar and vector quantities | Scalar and vector quantities, why mass, temperature and time are scalars, drawing a vector as an arrow, equal forces that cancel, distance versus displacement, speed versus velocity, and negative vector values. | 16 |
| Examples of vectors and scalars, and velocity | Which of distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, force, mass, weight, momentum and energy are scalars and which are vectors, then velocity as speed in a stated direction. | 11 |
| Speed, distance, time and distance-time graphs | The average speed equation and calculations with it, why a journey speed is an average, and what gradients, horizontal lines, curves and tangents on a distance–time graph show. | 14 |
| Acceleration and the equation v squared minus u squared | The acceleration equation and its unit, calculating acceleration, deceleration, final velocity and time, and using (final velocity)² − (initial velocity)² = 2 × acceleration × distance to find speeds, decelerations and distances. | 13 |
| Velocity-time graphs and free fall | What the gradient and the area under a velocity–time graph give, reading acceleration and deceleration from the line, the 10 m/s² acceleration of free fall, and straight-line graphs of the form y = mx + c, with v = u + at as an example. | 19 |
| Measuring speed in the laboratory, and typical everyday speeds | Measuring speed with light gates or a metre rule and stopwatch, typical speeds for walking, running, cycling, cars, wind and sound, then accuracy, precision, repeatable and reproducible results, and random, systematic and zero errors. | 20 |
| Newton's first law, and investigating force, mass and acceleration | Newton's first law and resultant force, forces on objects at rest or at constant velocity, the trolley investigation into force, mass and acceleration with its variables, errors and safety, and writing hypotheses, plotting graphs and drawing conclusions. | 26 |
| Newton's second and third laws | Force = mass × acceleration and calculations with it, how acceleration depends on force and mass, Newton's third law and why its equal and opposite force pairs never cancel, and the proportionality symbol ∝. | 14 |
| Weight, mass and gravitational field strength | Weight as a gravitational force, weight = mass × gravitational field strength with calculations on Earth, the Moon and Mars, the difference between mass and weight, measuring weight with a newtonmeter, and what 10 N/kg means. | 18 |
| Reaction time, stopping distance and large decelerations | Measuring reaction time with a ruler drop or a computer, thinking, braking and stopping distance, why large decelerations injure, seat belts, skidding and overheated brakes, then the mean, range, uncertainty, anomalous results, median and mode of repeat readings. | 25 |
| Factors affecting stopping distance and reaction time | How speed, mass, road conditions and worn brakes or tyres affect stopping distance, how tiredness, alcohol, drugs and distractions lengthen reaction time, and showing reaction times in frequency tables, histograms, bar charts and scatter diagrams, with correlation and causation. | 18 |
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.
-
Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
-
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.
-
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 GCSE Combined Science Physics, Foundation tier Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,297 questions with their answers.