1. Motion can be described by scalars like distance and speed, which only have magnitude, or vectors like displacement and velocity, which have both magnitude and direction.
2. Distance is the total length traveled regardless of direction, while displacement is the straight-line distance between two points. Speed is the rate of change of distance over time, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement and includes direction.
3. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and can be calculated using the change in velocity over the change in time. Distance-time and speed-time graphs can be used to determine if an object is speeding up, slowing down, or moving at a constant speed based on whether the line
1. Motion can be described by scalars like distance and speed, which only have magnitude, or vectors like displacement and velocity, which have both magnitude and direction.
2. Distance is the total length traveled regardless of direction, while displacement is the straight-line distance between two points. Speed is the rate of change of distance over time, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement and includes direction.
3. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and can be calculated using the change in velocity over the change in time. Distance-time and speed-time graphs can be used to determine if an object is speeding up, slowing down, or moving at a constant speed based on whether the line
1. Motion can be described by scalars like distance and speed, which only have magnitude, or vectors like displacement and velocity, which have both magnitude and direction.
2. Distance is the total length traveled regardless of direction, while displacement is the straight-line distance between two points. Speed is the rate of change of distance over time, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement and includes direction.
3. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and can be calculated using the change in velocity over the change in time. Distance-time and speed-time graphs can be used to determine if an object is speeding up, slowing down, or moving at a constant speed based on whether the line
1. Motion can be described by scalars like distance and speed, which only have magnitude, or vectors like displacement and velocity, which have both magnitude and direction.
2. Distance is the total length traveled regardless of direction, while displacement is the straight-line distance between two points. Speed is the rate of change of distance over time, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement and includes direction.
3. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and can be calculated using the change in velocity over the change in time. Distance-time and speed-time graphs can be used to determine if an object is speeding up, slowing down, or moving at a constant speed based on whether the line
Definition Physical quantities that have magnitude Physical Quantities that have both only. magnitude and direction.
Examples Distance, Speed, Mass, Energy, Time, Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration,
Work, Power Force, Momentum, Impulse, Weight
Representation A scalar is represented by its magnitude A vector is represented by its
(numeric value) and unit only direction such as North, west, east, south or degrees or with arrows along with its magnitude and unit.
Distance and Displacement:
Distance Displacement
Total length covered by a moving object The distance measured in a straight line in a regardless of the direction of motion. specified direction Scalar quantity (has magnitude only) Vector quantity (magnitude and direction both) SI Unit: metre (m) SI Unit: metre (m) The distance travelled by the moving object The displacement of the object from A to B is 5 from A to B is either 7 km (yellow path), 9 km km due east of A. regardless of the actual path (blue) or 11 km (green) depending upon the it takes path it takes.
Speed: Speed is the distance travelled per unit time. 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒔 Formula: 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅 = or 𝒗= 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒕
SI Unit: metre per second (m/s)
It is a scalar quantity.
Average Speed: Total distance travelled by an object divided by total time taken. 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅 = 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 Page 1 of 8 IGCSE Physics Board Notes 1.2 Motion
Instantaneous Speed: The speed of an object measured over a very short period of time.
Velocity: Velocity is the rate of change of displacement. 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 = 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 • Velocity of an object = speed of an object + the direction in which it is travelling. • Velocity is a vector quantity. • Unit – metre per second (m/s)
Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
• When an objects velocity changes (speed or direction or both) per second, it undergoes acceleration. • An object that speeds up is accelerating, its acceleration is positive. • An object that slows down is decelerating, its acceleration is negative (also called deceleration). 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 ∆𝒗 𝒗−𝒖 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 = or 𝒂 = = 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 ∆𝒕 𝒕 • v = final velocity in metres per second (m/s) • u = initial velocity in metres per second (m/s)
SI Unit of acceleration: metre per second square (m/s2)
Graphs: • y-axis has dependent variable. • x-axis has independent variable. • Label the axes clearly with the name of the physical quantity in this format - “quantity/unit”.
Gradient - The line’s rise on the vertical scale divided
by its rise on horizontal scale (also called slope). 𝑦2 − 𝑦1 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥1 Scale – Choose an appropriate scale that the graph covers at least half of the given area.
Page 2 of 8 IGCSE Physics Board Notes 1.2 Motion
Distance-time graphs: • A distance-time graph tells us how far an object has moved with time. • The gradient of a distance-time graph is numerically equal to the speed of the object.
When the speed of the object is changing, the gradient
of the distance–time graph varies, as in Figure, where the upward curve of increasing gradient of the solid green line shows the object accelerating. The opposite, upward curve of decreasing gradient (indicated by the dashed green line) shows an object decelerating above T.
Distance-time graphs
Gradient: 0 Gradient: Constant
Object at rest/stationary Object moving at constant speed. Zero acceleration
Gradient: increasing Gradient: decreasing
Object moving with increasing speed (non- Object moving with decreasing speed (non- uniform). Object accelerating. uniform). Object decelerating.
Page 3 of 8 IGCSE Physics Board Notes 1.2 Motion
Speed-time graphs: • On a speed-time graph, the gradient of the line is numerically equal to the acceleration. • On a speed-time graph, the area under the line is numerically equal to the distance travelled. • Speed-Time graphs look much like Distance-Time graphs. Be sure to read the labels!! • Time is plotted on the X-axis. Speed or velocity is plotted on the Y-axis.
Object at rest/stationary. Gradient: zero
Constant speed. Zero Acceleration
Gradient: Constant and positive Gradient: increasing and positive
Gradient: Decreasing and positive Gradient: constant and negative
Speed increasing at a decreasing rate. Uniformly decreasing speed (Non-uniformly) decreasing acceleration. Constant deceleration.
80
60 speed / m/s
40
20
0 0 2 4 6 time/s
Gradient: decreasing and negative
Gradient: increasing and negative Non-uniformly decreasing speed. (decreasing Non-uniformly decreasing speed. (decreasing speed at a decreasing rate) speed at an increasing rate) decreasing deceleration. Increasing deceleration.
Page 5 of 8 IGCSE Physics Board Notes 1.2 Motion
Area under the speed-time graphs:
• On a speed-time graph, the area under the curve is numerically equal to the distance travelled.
Area 1 and 5: Triangle Area 2: rectangle
Area of a triangle: Area of a rectangle: 𝟏 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 = 𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 × 𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 = 𝟐 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆 × 𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 Area 3 and 4 can be added to make a trapezium. Area of a trapezium: 𝟏 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 = (𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅) × 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝟐
Finding gradient of curved lines:
To find the velocity at a particular instant of time, draw a tangent to the graph at the relative point and calculate the gradient of that tangent.
The bigger the triangle, the more accurate the figure.
Ensure that the triangle touches the curve exactly at one point.
Page 6 of 8 IGCSE Physics Board Notes 1.2 Motion
Free-fall (without air resistance):
When an object is released near to the surface of the Earth, it falls under the influence of gravity. This is known as free fall.
• The acceleration of free fall or acceleration due to gravity is denoted by g. • The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s. This is only true in the absence of air and air resistance.
Falling objects with air resistance:
Objects falling through fluids (fluids are liquids or gases) in a uniform gravitational field, experience two forces:
• Weight (due to gravity)
• Friction (such as air resistance, drag in liquids etc.)
Few important points regarding air resistance:
• Air resistance is a frictional force.
• It always opposes the motion of moving object. • It increases with the speed of the object. • It increases with the surface area of the object. • It increases with the density of air.
From A to B: Force of gravity (Weight) acts, causing the objects to have uniform acceleration (9.8 m/s2 on Earth). From B to C: Air resistance gradually increases causing the acceleration to decrease. Object moves with increasing speed at a decreasing rate. From C to D: Air resistance becomes equal to the force due to gravity balancing it out. Object has zero acceleration and moves at constant speed called terminal velocity.
