ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-23

IGCSE PHYSICS

SECTION 1
FORCES AND MOVEMENT

 Movement and position

 Forces & Shape

 Momentum & Moments

Gulnaz Redif

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Distance-Time Graphs

A distance-time graph shows how the distance of an object moving in a straight line (from a
starting position) varies over time:

This graph shows a moving object moving further away from its origin

Constant Speed on a Distance-Time Graph

Distance-time graphs also show the following information:

 If the object is moving at a constant speed

 How large or small the speed is

A straight line represents constant speed

The slope of the straight line represents the magnitude of the speed:

 A very steep slope means the object is moving at a large speed

 A shallow slope means the object is moving at a small speed
 A flat, horizontal line means the object is stationary (not moving)

This graph shows how the slope of a line is used to interpret the speed of moving objects.
Both of these objects are moving with a constant speed, because the lines are straight.

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Changing Speed on a Distance-Time Graph

Objects might be moving at a changing speed.

 This is represented by a curve

In this case, the slope of the line will be changing.

 If the slope is increasing, the speed is increasing (accelerating)

 If the slope is decreasing, the speed is decreasing (decelerating)

The image below shows two different objects moving with changing speeds.

TIME

Changing speeds are represented by changing slopes. The red line represents an
object slowing down and the green line represents an object speeding up.

Gradient of a Distance-Time Graph

The speed of a moving object can be calculated from the gradient of the line on a distance-
time graph:

The speed of an object can be found by calculating the gradient of a distance-time graph

 The rise is the change in y (distance) values.

 The run is the change in x (time) values

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Example: A distance-time graph is drawn below for part of a train journey. The train is
travelling at a constant speed. Calculate the speed of the train in m/s.

(Answer: speed = 22.2 m/s)

Example: Ose decides to take a stroll to the park. He finds a bench in a quiet spot and takes
a seat, picking up where he left off reading his book on Black Holes. After some time
reading, Ose realises he lost track of time and runs home. A distance-time graph for his trip
is drawn below:

a) How long does Ose spend reading his

book?

b) There are three sections labelled on the

graph: A, B and C.

Which section represents Ose running

home?

c) What is the total distance travelled by

Ose?

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Calculating Average Speed

The speed of an object is the distance it travels every second.

Speed is a scalar quantity. This is because it only contains a magnitude (without a direction)

A hiker might have an average speed of 2.0 m/s, whereas a particularly excited bumble bee can have
average speeds of up to 4.5 m/s

The equation for calculating the average speed of a moving object is:

Example: Planes fly at typical speeds of around 250 m/s. Calculate the distance travelled by
a plane moving at this average speed for 2 hours.

Example: A car completes a journey of 270 km in 4 hours and 30 minutes. Calculate the
average speed of the car in m/s.

Example: A car completes a journey of 500km at an average speed of 20m/s. Calculate the
total time of its journey in seconds.

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Core Practical 1: Investigating Motion
Aim of the Experiment

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the motion of some everyday objects, such as:

 A paper cone
 A tennis ball

Variables:

 Independent variable = Distance, d

 Dependent variable = Time, t
 Control variables: Use the same object (paper cone, tennis ball etc.) for each
measurement

 Resolution (precision) of measuring equipment:

 Ruler = 1 mm
 Stop clock = 0.01 s

Method

Investigating the motion of a falling paper cone

1. Measure out a height of 1.0 m using the

tape measure or metre ruler
2. Drop the object (paper cone or tennis ball)
from this height, which is the distance
travelled by the object
3. Use the stop clock to measure how long the
object takes to travel this distance
4. Record the distance travelled and time
taken
5. Repeat steps 2-3 three times, calculating
an average time taken for the object to fall a
certain distance
6. Repeat steps 1-4 for heights of 1.2 m, 1.4 m, 1.6 m, and 1.8 m

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 Table of results:

Analysis of Results

The average speed of the falling object can be calculated using the equation:

Evaluating the Experiment

Systematic Errors:

 Make sure the measurements on the tape measure or metre rule are taken at eye
level to avoid parallax error.
 Consider using an electronic sensor, such as light gates, to obtain highly accurate
measurements of time. Once the object is released, the timer starts and stops
automatically as it reaches the sensor on the ground.

Random Errors:

 Ensure the experiment is done in a space with no draught or breeze, as this could
affect the motion of the falling object.
 Using a ball bearing and an electronic data logger, like a trap door, is a good way
to remove the error due to human reaction time for this experiment.

Safety Considerations

 Place a mat or a soft material below any falling object to cushion its fall.

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Acceleration

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity.

In other words, it describes how much an object's velocity changes every second.

The equation below is used to calculate the average acceleration of an object:

a = (v – u) / t

Where:

 a = acceleration in metres per second squared (m/s2)

 v = final velocity in m/s
 u = initial velocity in m/s
 v - u = change in velocity in metres per second (m/s)
 t = time taken in seconds (s)

Speeding Up & Slowing Down

An object that speeds up is accelerating.

An object that slows down is decelerating.

The acceleration of an object can

be positive or negative, depending on whether
the object is speeding up or slowing down.

 If an object is speeding up, its acceleration is positive.

 If an object is slowing down, its acceleration is negative (sometimes
called deceleration).

Example: A Japanese bullet train decelerates at a constant rate in a straight line.

The velocity of the train decreases from 50 m/s to 42 m/s in 30 seconds.

Calculate the deceleration of the train, and explain how your answer shows the train is
slowing down.

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Velocity-Time Graphs

A velocity-time graph shows how the velocity of a moving object varies with time.

 The red line represents an object with increasing velocity

 The green line represents an object with decreasing velocity

Acceleration on a Velocity-Time Graph

Velocity-time graphs also show the following information:

 If the object is moving with a constant acceleration/deceleration

 The magnitude of the acceleration/deceleration

A straight line represents constant acceleration.

The slope of the line represents the magnitude of acceleration.

 A steep slope means large acceleration (or deceleration) - i.e. the object's
speed changes very quickly
 A gentle slope means small acceleration (or deceleration) - i.e. the object's
speed changes very gradually
 A flat line means the acceleration is zero - i.e. the object is moving with
a constant velocity

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Gradient of a Velocity-Time Graph

The acceleration of an object can be calculated from the gradient of a velocity-time graph.

Example: Tora is training for a cycling tournament.

The velocity-time graph below shows her motion as she cycles along a flat, straight road.

(a) In which section (A, B, C, D, or E) of the velocity-time graph is Tora’s acceleration the
largest?

(b) Calculate Tora’s acceleration between 5 and 10 seconds.

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Area under a Velocity-Time Graph

The area under a velocity-time graph represents the displacement (or distance travelled)
by an object.

The displacement, or distance travelled, is represented by the area beneath the graph

 If the area beneath the graph forms a triangle (i.e. the object
is accelerating or decelerating), then the area can be determined by using the
following formula:

Area = ½ × Base × Height

 If the area beneath the graph forms a rectangle (i.e. the object is moving at
a constant velocity), then the area can be determined by using the following
formula:

Area = Base × Height

Determining Distance from a Velocity-Time Graph

Enclosed areas under velocity-time graphs represent total displacement (or total distance
travelled)

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Example: The velocity-time graph below shows a car journey which lasts for 160
seconds. Calculate the total distance travelled by the car on this journey.

(Answer: total distance = 2175 m)

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