GCSE Physics for You, Fifth Edition

Answers to End-of-chapter questions

for Chapter 18, Velocity and Acceleration

It is very important that you are able to answer the questions on your own, using your
own knowledge of Physics.
Have a go at the questions first, and then check your answers using this page.
If you get a question wrong, try to work out where you have made an error.

1. a) speed = distance travelled ÷ time taken

= 75 m ÷ 50 s
= 1.5 m/s
b) speed = distance travelled ÷ time taken
= 150 m ÷ 50 s
= 3 m/s
c) speed = distance travelled ÷ time taken
= 1500 m ÷ 250 s
= 6 m/s

2. acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time taken for the change

= (25 m/s – 5 m/s) ÷ 10 s
= 2 m/s2

4. b) i) zero ii) 10 m/s2

5. The car starts from rest. It accelerates uniformly for 4 seconds at 2.5 m/s2 and
reaches a velocity of 10 m/s. It then travels at a steady velocity of 10 m/s for 10
seconds (from 4 s to 14 s). Then it decelerates (brakes) uniformly from 10 m/s to
rest, taking 5 seconds and decelerating at 2 m/s2. The journey takes 19 seconds.

6. a) velocity = distance travelled ÷ time taken

20 m/s = 14 m ÷ reaction time taken
reaction time = 14 m ÷ 20 m/s
= 0.7 s
b) Graph starts at 20 m/s with a horizontal section (constant speed) for 0.7 s
(during the reaction time, the thinking time). Then the graph falls in a
straight line for 3 seconds, so the velocity is zero at 3.7 s on the time axis.
c) At 3 s on the time axis the velocity is 4.7 m/s. This is the speed at which the
driver hits the wall.

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GCSE Physics for You, Fifth Edition

7. For the first section of the graph,

distance travelled = area under that triangular part of the graph
= ½ × 10 m/s × 4 s
= 20 m
For the central section of the graph,
distance travelled = area under the rectangular part of the graph
= 10 m/s × 10 s
= 100 m (so total distance so far is 120 m)
For the final section of the graph,
distance travelled = area under that triangular part of the graph
= ½ × 10 m/s × 5 s
= 25 m (so total distance so far is 145 m)
So the distance–time graph for the car should start from (0 m, 0 s), with the line
curving upwards (concave upwards) to (20 m, 4 s); then a straight line up to
(120 m, 14 s); then a curved line (convex upwards) to (145 m, 19 s).

8. Using: v = u + at
= 0 + (4 m/s2 × 10 s)
= 40 m/s

9. Initially the forces are unbalanced (because the weight is more than the drag
force), and so they accelerate downwards. As they speed up, the air resistance
(drag) increases so their acceleration reduces. Eventually the air resistance equals
their weight, so they do not accelerate any faster. They are then travelling at their
terminal velocity.

10. a) See page 93.

b) steady speed, so air resistance = weight = 500 N
c) weight = mass × g, so mass = 50 kg
d) See page 93.

11. Using: s = u t + ½ a t2
300 m = 0 + ½ × 10 m/s2 × time2
time2 = 300 m ÷ 5 m/s2 = 60 s2
∴ time = 7.7 seconds

12. Using: v2 = u2 + 2 a s
= (10 m/s)2 + 2 × (−10 m/s2) × distance s
distance = (100 ÷ 20) m =5m

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GCSE Physics for You, Fifth Edition

13. a) Using: v2 = u 2 + 2 a s
= 0 + 2 × 10 m/s2 × 20 m
= 400 m2/s2
∴ velocity v = 20 m/s
b) Using: s = u t + ½ a t2
20 m = 0 + ½ × 10 m/s2 × time2
time2 = 20 m ÷ 5 m/s2 = 4 s2
∴ time = 2 seconds
c) Using: velocity = distance travelled ÷ time taken
or distance travelled = velocity × time taken
= 5 m/s × 2 s
= 10 m

14. Kinetic energy of moving car = gravitational potential energy when h metres high
½ × mass × speed2 = mass × g × height, h
½ × (13 m/s)2 = 10 m/s2 × height, h
∴ height, h = 8.45 m (more than falling off a typical house)

15. Using: resultant force = mass × acceleration

20 N = 4 kg × acceleration
∴ acceleration = 5 m/s2
If a frictional force of 8 N is acting then resultant force = 20 N – 8 N = 12 N
resultant force = mass × acceleration
12 N = 4 kg × acceleration
∴ acceleration = 3 m/s2

16. a) weight = mass × g = 3.0 × 106 kg × 10 N/kg = 3.0 × 107 N

b) Resultant force at lift-off = thrust ‒ weight
= 3.3 × 107 N ‒ 3.0 × 107 N
= 0.3 × 107 N = 3 × 106 N
c) resultant force = mass × acceleration
3 × 106 N = 3.0 × 106 kg × acceleration
2
∴ acceleration = 1 m/s
d) In orbit the apparent weight is zero (because the pull of the Earth equals the
centripetal force).

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GCSE Physics for You, Fifth Edition

17. a) deceleration = change in velocity ÷ time taken for the change

= (30 m/s ‒ 0) ÷ 2 s
= 15 m/s2
b) force = mass × deceleration
= 100 kg × 15 m/s2
= 1500 N

18. Using g = 10 N/kg

a) weight = mass × g = 100 kg × 10 N/kg = 1000 N
b) weight = mass × g = 100 kg × 1.6 N/kg = 160 N

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