Interaction

between objects
GCSE Additional Science

Physics 2
Chapter 15
 Forces working in Pairs
Force ‘A’ that you exert Force ‘B’ exerted by the trolley (on you) – it
on the trolley. is equal and opposite to force ‘A’.
Force A Force B
GCSE Additional Science

Constant speed

It doesn’t matter what direction you place the force

on the trolley, the trolley will place a force of the
same magnitude, but in the opposite direction. The
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forces don’t cancel each other out, as the two

forces act on different bodies.
 Work Done

Force (N)

Distance Force moved (m)

GCSE Additional Science

As an object is moved, you do WORK and you have to

use energy.
To calculate the work done, you must use:

Work (J) = Force (N) x Distance Force moved (m)

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W
F×d
 Example Questions
1. Sion pushes a block 5m across a table with a force of
5N. He tires and stops. How much work did Sion do? 25J

2. Anna lifts her school bag 2m up in the air with a force

of 10N. How many times did she do it? 20J
3. Mathew does 200J worth of work whilst pushing a box
GCSE Additional Science

with the force of 50N. What distance did he move the

box? 4m

4. Cai lifts his cat 1.5m into the air. If he had done 75J
worth of work, how much force did he use? 50N
5. Carl drives a car over 1000m. If the engine exerts a
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force of 2000N, how much work is done by the car?

2MJ
ANSWERS
 Kinetic Energy Higher

Every moving body has Kinetic

Energy.
Energy
It is possible to calculate a moving
body’s kinetic energy by using:

Kinetic Energy = mass (kg) x speed squared (m/s)2

GCSE Additional Science

Kinetic Energy =m x v2
2
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For a diver weighing 70kg travelling at 54m/s………

Kinetic Energy = ½ × 70 × 542
= 102,060J = 102kJ
 Exemplar Questions
1) Megan drives her car at a speed of 30m/s.
If the total mass is 1000kg what is her 450kJ
kinetic energy?

2) Sioned’s speed on her bike is 10m/s. The

total mass of Sioned and her bike is 80kg, 4kJ
so what is her kinetic energy?
GCSE Additional Science

3) Dan runs with a kinetic energy of 750J. His

mass is 60kg; what’s his speed? 5m/s
4) Geraint walks to school. His kinetic energy
is 150J and his speed is 2m/s, so what is
his mass? 75kg
Chapter 15

ANSWERS
 Potential Energy HIGHER

Potential energy is the energy that

every object has due to its position.
It is possible to calculate an object’s
potential energy by using:

Potential Energy = mass x gravitational strength x height

GCSE Additional Science

(J) (kg) (m/s 2) (m)

Potential Energy = mgh

For the book on top of the pile, it has a
mass of 0.7kg and it’s 2m from the floor,
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so ………
Potential energy = 0.7 × 10 × 2 = 14J
 Friction
1) What is friction?
2) Give 3 examples where friction can be a
problem.
3) Give 3 examples where friction can be useful.
4) What effect does friction have on surfaces?
GCSE Additional Science
Chapter 15
 Braking Distances for a car…
A car’s braking distance is composed of two elements:
1) The thinking distance – this is the distance you travel whilst
reacting.
2) Braking distance – this is the distance travelled whilst braking.

Thinking Braking
distance distance Total
9m 14m
13m/s (30 m.p.h.) 23m
GCSE Additional Science

15m 38m
22m/s (50 m.p.h.) 53m

21m 75m
31m/s (70 m.p.h.) 96m

You do not need to learn the above figures for the

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exam, but they show how the car’s speed affect its
stopping distance. What else affects a car’s stopping
distance?
 A Car’s Stopping Distance …
High speed
Tiredness

Thinking Alcohol
distance
Drugs
Impaired
GCSE Additional Science

vision

Ice on the Wet road

road surface
Braking
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distance
Worn tyres or
brakes High speed
 Car’s Stopping Distance
Visit the website below to see video clips on the
effects of speed, tiredness, alcohol misuse etc.
on the stopping distance.
GCSE Additional Science

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/m
ediacentre/mediapage.htm
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