Physics Concepts

Acceleration

• The rate of change of velocity. It can be calculated from the gradient of a velocity-time graph.

• The total distance traveled divided by the total time taken.

• The change in speed over a fixed distance.

• The force applied to an object divided by its mass.

Balanced Forces

• A resultant force of zero.

• A force that causes an object to accelerate.

• A force that changes the direction of an object.

• A force that is always greater than other forces.

Braking Distance

• The distance a vehicle travels under the braking force, affected by road and weather conditions and the vehicle's condition.

• The distance a vehicle travels before it starts to brake.

• The distance a vehicle travels after the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.

• The distance a vehicle can travel without any external force acting on it.

Resultant Force

• The total of all forces acting on an object.

• The single force that can replace all the individual forces acting on an object, and have the same effect.

• The force that opposes motion.

• The force that is applied to an object to change its velocity.

Newton’s Second Law

• An object’s acceleration is directly proportional to the resultant force acting on it, and inversely proportional to the object’s mass.

• An object’s velocity is directly proportional to the mass of the object and the time it is in motion.

• An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

• The force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its speed.

Contact Force

• A force that acts on an object through physical contact.

• A force that acts at a distance without physical contact.

• A force that is always in motion.

• A force that can only be applied by living beings.

Distance-Time Graph

• A plot of how an object’s distance changes over time. The gradient equals the object's speed at that point.

• A representation of an object's speed over time, showing acceleration.

• A graph that shows the relationship between distance and direction traveled.

• A chart that indicates the time taken for an object to travel a fixed distance.

Newton Metre

• The unit of a moment.

• A unit of force.

• A unit of energy.

• A unit of power.

Thinking Distance

• The distance a vehicle travels during the driver’s reaction time, which may be affected by tiredness, drugs, or alcohol.

• The distance a vehicle travels while braking to a complete stop.

• The distance a vehicle travels after the driver has seen a hazard and before they react.

• The distance a vehicle travels in one second at a speed of 30 mph.

Non-Contact Force

• A force that requires physical contact to act on an object.

• A force that acts on an object at a distance without physical contact.

• A force that can only be observed in a vacuum.

• A force that is always attractive and never repulsive.