Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science · P2

Motion and forces

50 revision questions with answers for P2 Motion and forces in Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science (spec 1SC0). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official Pearson material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec P2.1
What is a scalar quantity?
Answer:
A quantity with magnitude but no direction.
Question 2 · Spec P2.2
What is a vector quantity?
Answer:
A quantity with magnitude and direction.
Question 3 · Spec P2.4
Classify mass, energy, force and acceleration.
Answer:
Mass and energy are scalars; force and acceleration are vectors.
Question 4 · Spec P2.5
How does velocity differ from speed?
Answer:
Velocity includes direction; speed gives only the rate of distance travelled.
Question 5 · Spec P2.4
How do distance and displacement differ?
Answer:
Distance is total path length; displacement is straight-line change from start to finish, including direction.
Question 6 · Spec P2.6
State the average-speed equation.
Answer:
Average speed = total distance / total time.
Question 7 · Spec P2.6
A cyclist travels 180 m in 12 s. Find average speed.
Answer:
180/12 = 15 m/s.
Question 8 · Spec P2.6
A car travels at 20 m/s for 45 s. Find distance.
Answer:
Distance = 20 × 45 = 900 m.
Question 9 · Spec P2.7
What does a distance-time graph's gradient represent?
Answer:
Speed; a horizontal section represents no change in distance.
Question 10 · Spec P2.7
A graph rises 60 m in 15 s. Find speed.
Answer:
Gradient = 60/15 = 4.0 m/s.
Question 11 · Spec P2.8
State the acceleration equation.
Answer:
a = (v - u)/t: change in velocity divided by time.
Question 12 · Spec P2.8
Velocity rises from 4 to 16 m/s in 3 s. Find acceleration.
Answer:
(16 − 4)/3 = 4.0 m/s².
Question 13 · Spec P2.9
State the uniform-acceleration equation linking velocities and distance.
Answer:
v² - u² = 2ax, where x is displacement along the motion.
Question 14 · Spec P2.9
A body starts from rest and accelerates at 2 m/s² for 25 m. Find final speed.
Answer:
v² = 2 × 2 × 25 = 100; v = 10 m/s.
Question 15 · Spec P2.10
What does a velocity-time graph's gradient give?
Answer:
Acceleration; a horizontal line shows constant velocity.
Question 16 · Spec P2.10
Velocity rises from 0 to 12 m/s in 4 s. Find graph gradient.
Answer:
12/4 = 3.0 m/s².
Question 17 · Spec P2.10
What does area between a positive velocity-time line and time axis give?
Answer:
Distance travelled, for the specified uniform-acceleration cases.
Question 18 · Spec P2.10
A graph forms a triangle from 0 to 10 m/s over 6 s. Find distance.
Answer:
Area = 0.5 × 6 × 10 = 30 m.
Question 19 · Spec P2.11
How can a light gate measure speed?
Answer:
Measure the time a card of known length blocks the beam, then divide card length by blocking time.
Question 20 · Spec P2.11
Why are electronic timing methods useful for fast motion?
Answer:
They reduce the effect of human reaction-time uncertainty.
Question 21 · Spec P2.12
Give approximate typical walking, running and cycling speeds.
Answer:
About 1.4 m/s, 3 m/s and 6 m/s, respectively; actual values depend on circumstances.
Question 22 · Spec P2.12
Give an approximate speed of sound in air.
Answer:
About 330-340 m/s under ordinary conditions.
Question 23 · Spec P2.13
What approximate free-fall acceleration should be recalled for this specification?
Answer:
10 m/s² downward near Earth's surface, ignoring air resistance.
Question 24 · Spec P2.14
State Newton's First Law.
Answer:
Zero resultant force means rest or constant velocity; a non-zero resultant changes velocity.
Question 25 · Spec P2.14
Does an object moving at constant velocity need a resultant forward force?
Answer:
No. Its resultant force is zero; driving and resistive forces may balance.
Question 26 · Spec P2.15
State Newton's Second Law.
Answer:
Resultant force = mass x acceleration, F = ma.
Question 27 · Spec P2.15
Find acceleration for a 12 N resultant acting on 3.0 kg.
Answer:
a = 12/3.0 = 4.0 m/s².
Question 28 · Spec P2.16
How do weight and mass differ?
Answer:
Mass is matter-related inertia in kg; weight is gravitational force in N, W = mg.
Question 29 · Spec P2.16
Find weight for a 65 kg person with g = 10 N/kg.
Answer:
W = 65 × 10 = 650 N.
Question 30 · Spec P2.17
How is weight measured?
Answer:
With a calibrated spring balance or newtonmeter.
Question 31 · Spec P2.18
How does an object's weight change if local field strength halves?
Answer:
Its weight halves while its mass stays unchanged.
Question 32 · Spec P2.19 · Core practical
How can force's effect on trolley acceleration be tested?
Answer:
Vary pulling force while keeping total moving mass constant; measure acceleration using suitable sensors or light gates.
Question 33 · Spec P2.19 · Core practical
How can mass's effect on trolley acceleration be tested?
Answer:
Vary total moving mass while keeping the pulling force constant and measure acceleration.
Question 34 · Spec P2.19 · Core practical
Why control track slope and friction?
Answer:
They alter the resultant force and could mask the effect of the chosen variable.
Question 35 · Spec P2.20 · Higher only
Why does circular motion at constant speed involve changing velocity?
Answer:
The direction changes continuously, so velocity changes even if speed does not.
Question 36 · Spec P2.21 · Higher only
What direction does the centripetal resultant force act?
Answer:
Towards the centre of the circle.
Question 37 · Spec P2.22 · Higher only
Define inertial mass.
Answer:
The ratio of resultant force to acceleration, F/a, measuring difficulty of changing velocity.
Question 38 · Spec P2.23
State Newton's Third Law.
Answer:
Two interacting objects exert equal and opposite forces on one another.
Question 39 · Spec P2.23
Why are a Third-Law pair not simply balanced forces on one object?
Answer:
The two forces act on different objects.
Question 40 · Spec P2.24 · Higher only
State the momentum equation and unit.
Answer:
p = mv; unit kg m/s. Momentum is a vector.
Question 41 · Spec P2.25 · Higher only
What is conserved in a collision with no resultant external force?
Answer:
The system's total momentum.
Question 42 · Spec P2.25 · Higher only
A 2 kg trolley at 3 m/s joins a stationary 1 kg trolley. Find final velocity.
Answer:
Momentum = 6 kg m/s; total mass = 3 kg; final velocity = 2 m/s.
Question 43 · Spec P2.26 · Higher only
State the force equation using momentum change.
Answer:
Force = change in momentum / time = (mv - mu)/t.
Question 44 · Spec P2.26 · Higher only
Why can a longer stopping time reduce impact force?
Answer:
For the same momentum change, a longer time gives a smaller average force.
Question 45 · Spec P2.27
How can reaction time be measured, and give a typical simple-response value?
Answer:
Use a ruler-drop or electronic response test; around 0.2 s is a typical simple response.
Question 46 · Spec P2.28
What makes up a vehicle's stopping distance?
Answer:
Thinking distance plus braking distance.
Question 47 · Spec P2.29
What factors affect braking distance?
Answer:
Initial speed, vehicle mass, brake condition, road condition and tyre-road friction.
Question 48 · Spec P2.30
What can increase a driver's reaction time?
Answer:
Drugs, alcohol, tiredness and distractions.
Question 49 · Spec P2.31
Why are very large decelerations dangerous?
Answer:
They require large forces on occupants and can damage body tissues.
Question 50 · Spec P2.31 · Higher only
A 1,000 kg vehicle decelerates at 8 m/s². Estimate resultant force magnitude.
Answer:
F = ma = 1,000 × 8 = 8,000 N, opposite the motion.

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