A.1 KinematicsIB Physics SL: Flashcards

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What is the difference between distance and displacement?

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What is the difference between distance and displacement?: Distance is the total path length (scalar); displacement is the change in position (vector).
Define velocity.: The rate of change of position (displacement per unit time).
Define acceleration.: The rate of change of velocity.
How is instantaneous velocity found from a displacement–time graph?: From the gradient of the tangent to the curve at that instant.
What does the area under a velocity–time graph represent?: The displacement.
State the four equations of motion for uniform acceleration.: s = ((u + v)/2)t; v = u + at; s = ut + ½at²; v² = u² + 2as.
When can the equations of motion NOT be used?: When the acceleration is non-uniform (changing).
How do you estimate displacement from velocity–time data with changing acceleration?: Sum the areas of trapezia: (average velocity × time) for each interval.
In projectile motion without air resistance, what happens to the horizontal velocity?: It stays constant, because no horizontal force acts.
What is the vertical acceleration of a projectile without air resistance?: g (9.81 m s⁻²) downwards throughout the flight, including at the top.
What is the velocity of a projectile at the top of its path?: Purely horizontal and equal to u cos θ; only the vertical component is zero.
How does air resistance affect a projectile's range and maximum height?: Both are reduced.
How does air resistance change the shape of a trajectory?: It becomes asymmetric, with the descent steeper than the ascent.
Why does a falling object reach terminal speed?: Drag increases with speed until it equals the weight; the resultant force, and so the acceleration, becomes zero.