SPEED-TIME-ACCELERATION

1 A solid plastic sphere falls towards the Earth.

Fig. 1.1 is the speed-time graph of the fall up to the point where the sphere hits the Earth’s
surface.

140
R S T
120
speed
m/s
100

m
80

co
60

s.
Q
40

e
20

rc
P
0

ou
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
time / s
s
Fig. 1.1
re
(a) Describe in detail the motion of the sphere shown by the graph.
am

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

..........................................................................................................................................
x
te

..........................................................................................................................................
ar

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

..................................................................................................................................... [3]
m
.s
w
w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 1
(b) On Fig. 1.2, draw arrows to show the directions of the forces acting on the sphere when
it is at the position shown by point S on the graph. Label your arrows with the names of
the forces. [2]

m
co
e s.
Fig. 1.2

rc
(c) Explain why the sphere is moving with constant speed at S.

s ou
..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................
re
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
am

(d) Use the graph to calculate the approximate distance that the sphere falls

(i) between R and T,

x
te
ar

distance = ………………. [2]

(ii) between P and Q.
m
.s
w

distance = ………………. [2]

w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 2
---------------------------------------------------Marking Scheme-------------------------------------------------

m
co
e s.
rc
s ou
re
x am
te
ar
m
.s
w
w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 3
 2

2 Fig. 1.1 shows the speed-time graph for a bus during tests.

At time t = 0, the driver starts to brake.

speed 20
m/s
P
15
test 2 graph
10

m
Q
5
test 1 graph

co
R
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

s.
time t / s

e
Fig. 1.1

rc
(a) For test 1,
(i) determine how long the bus takes to stop,
s ou
..................................................................................................................................
re
(ii) state which part of the graph shows the greatest deceleration,
am

..................................................................................................................................
(iii) use the graph to determine how far the bus travels in the first 2 seconds.
x
te
ar

distance = ..........................................
[4]
m

(b) For test 2, a device was fitted to the bus. The device changed the deceleration.
.s

(i) State two ways in which the deceleration during test 2 is different from that during
w

test 1.
w

1 ...............................................................................................................................
w

2 ...............................................................................................................................
(ii) Calculate the value of the deceleration in test 2.

deceleration = ....................................
[4]

www.smartexamresources.com 4
 (c) Fig. 1.2 shows a sketch graph of the magnitude of the acceleration for the bus when it
is travelling around a circular track at constant speed.

magnitude
of acceleration

m
co
0
0 time

s.
Fig. 1.2

e
rc
(i) Use the graph to show that there is a force of constant magnitude acting on the
bus.

s ou
..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................
re
(ii) State the direction of this force.

..................................................................................................................................
am

[3]
x
te
ar
m
.s
w
w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 5
------------------------------------------Marking Scheme----------------------------------------------------

m
co
e s.
rc
s ou
re
x am
te
ar
m
.s
w
w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 6
 A rocket is stationary on the launchpad. At time t = 0, the rocket engines are switched on and
3 exhaust gases are ejected from the nozzles of the engines. The rocket accelerates upwards.

Fig. 1.1 shows how the acceleration of the rocket varies between time t = 0 and time t = tf.

acceleration

m
co
s.
0

e
0 tf

rc
time t

u
Fig. 1.1

(a) Define acceleration.

so
re
...................................................................................................................................................
m

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) On Fig. 1.2, sketch a graph to show how the speed of the rocket varies between time t = 0
xa

and time t = tf.

te

speed
ar
m
.s
w
w

0
0 tf
w

time t

Fig. 1.2
[3]

www.smartexamresources.com 7
(c) Some time later, the rocket is far from the Earth. The effect of the Earth’s gravity on the
motion of the rocket is insignificant. As the rocket accelerates, its momentum increases.

(i) State the principle of the conservation of momentum.

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

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

m
(ii) Explain how the principle of the conservation of momentum applies to the accelerating

co
rocket and the exhaust gases.

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

s.
...........................................................................................................................................

e
...........................................................................................................................................

rc
..................................................................................................................................... [2]

u
so [Total: 8]
re
m
xa
te
ar
m
.s
w
w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 8
MARKING SCHEME:

m
co
e s.
u rc
so
re
m
xa
te
ar
m
.s
w
w
w

www.smartexamresources.com 9