Forces and Motion -

Revision questions
1. (a) The graph shows how the downward velocity of a parachutist changes with
time from leaving the aircraft to landing on the ground. The parachute is not opened
until some time into the fall.

Use the graph to answer the following questions.

(i) What was the maximum velocity of the parachutist?

………………90…………………………….. m/s
(1)

(ii) For how long did the parachutist fall after leaving the aircraft?

………………………….40……………………………. s
(1)

(iii) At what time did the parachutist open the parachute?

Explain your answer.

………………….15. The skydiver goes through extreme

deceleration………………….

..........................................................................................................................
..
(2)

(iv) What was the terminal velocity at which the parachutist fell while the
parachute was open?

……………………………….90…………………………… m/s
(1)

(b) The diagram shows the forces acting on the parachutist once the parachute
has been opened.
 Between 16 and 21 seconds the parachutist’s velocity changes.

Describe the way in which the forces acting on the parachutist change during this
time.

Your answer should refer to the two forces shown in the diagram.

(3)
(Total 8 marks)
2. The graph shows the change in speed of an object falling through the Earth’s
atmosphere.

(a) What is the speed of the object 1.5 s after it is released?

15m/s
(1)

(b)Calculate the acceleration of the object during the first 1.5 s after it is released.

10m/s
(3)

(c) (i) Describe how the acceleration of the object changes during the 10 s
after it is released.

......................................................................................................................
….
(1)

(ii) Explain how you can tell this from the graph.

......................................................................................................................
….

......................................................................................................................
….
(1)
 (d)Galileo released a heavy and a light object together from the top of the leaning tower
of Pisa. The heavy object reached the ground a fraction of a second before the lighter
one.
Four hundred years later a similar experiment was carried out on the Moon.
This time, the objects arrived at the surface of the Moon together.

Explain why the results of the experiments were different.

.....................................................................................................................
…………

.....................................................................................................................
…………

.....................................................................................................................
…………

.....................................................................................................................
…………
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

3. A car travelling at 30 m/s collides with a wall. The driver, wearing a seatbelt, is brought
to rest in 0.070 s.

The driver has a mass of 50kg. Calculate the momentum of the driver before the crash.

.............................................................................................................................................
.

.............................................................................................................................................
.

Momentum = .........................................................
(2)

During the impact, the momentum of the driver is reduced to zero. Calculate the average
resultant force exerted on the driver during impact. You should use the following equation:

Force = change in momentum

time taken

.............................................................................................................................................
.

.............................................................................................................................................
.

.............................................................................................................................................
.

Average resultant force = .......................................

(2)

Use ideas about momentum to explain why an airbag reduces the risk of injury during a
crash.
.............................................................................................................................................
.

.............................................................................................................................................
.

.............................................................................................................................................
.

.............................................................................................................................................
.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)
4. The diagram shows the forces on a car travelling along a level road.

(a) How can you tell that the car is accelerating forwards?

................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b)The total mass of the car is 850 kg.

Calculate the acceleration of the car.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................
(3)

(c)Explain how the horizontal forces on the car change when the driver takes her foot
off the accelerator and applies the brake.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)
5. The diagram shows the side view of a laptop computer.

A student opens the computer with an upward force of 4.2 N.

The force is applied 0.25 m from the pivot.
(a) (i) State the equation linking moment, force and distance.
(1)

(ii) Calculate the moment of the force that opens the computer.
(2)

Moment = ........................................................... N m

(b) The student finds that 4.2 N is the minimum upward force needed to open the
computer.
Then the student applies a downward force, F, to close the computer.

Explain why the minimum force needed to close the computer is likely to be less
than 4.2 N.
(2)
       ..............................................................................................................................................
      ..............................................................................................................................................
      ..............................................................................................................................................
       ..............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 5 marks)
6. A student investigated the way in which a spring stretches when forces are applied to it. Here are
her results:

Applied force (N)

Length of spring (cm)
Extension (cm)
0
2.8
0
1
4.0
1.2
2
5.5
2.7
3
6.4

4
7.6

5
8.8
6.0
6
10.0

7
11.6
8.8
8
13.9
11.1

(a) Complete the table by filling in the missing values of extension. (2)
(b) On the grid below plot a graph of extension against force for the spring. Add a best fit line. (5)

(c) Does the spring obey Hooke’s Law? Explain your answer.
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………….. (3)
(d) Mark the elastic limit of the spring on your graph. (1)
(Total 11 marks)
7. A 2m long shelf is supported at each end and carries a box which weighs 40N, 0.5m from
one end as shown. The weight of the shelf is 20N. It is uniform, which means its centre of
gravity is in the middle of its length.
40N

0.5m
2.0m
A
B
a) Draw and label an arrow to show the weight of the shelf.
(1)

b) If the upward force at B is 20N, what is the upward force at A?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………
(1)
c) Describe what happens to the sizes of the force at B as the box is pushed towards the middle of the
shelf.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…
(1)

d) State the size of the upwards force at B, once the box is in the middle of the shelf.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…
(1)
(TOTAL 4 marks)