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Department of Physics
National 4/5
Kinematics and Dynamics
Section 1 Mechanics
Instructions
Work through the booklet. Titles are underlined and should always be
copied into your notes. Text printed in black should also be copied
into your notes. Text in grey should not be copied as it is for
information but should be read in full. Diagrams should all be glued
into your notes at the appropriate place. Remember to answer all
questions in complete sentences so that your notes make sense.
Homeworks should be completed, at home, when instructed and then
handed in.
1
Average speed
In this activity you will measure the average speed of a member of your
group in different circumstances.
Jogging, from 20
rest
Jogging, already 20
underway
sprint from rest 20
sprint already 20
underway
2
Answer the following questions in your jotter
Your teacher will now show you how to measure the average speed of a
trolley using two light gates and a data logger.
It should include:
a description of the steps taken to measure the average speed.
a list of the measurements made by the computer.
3
Instantaneous speed
Method 1: Stopwatch
runway
4
Answer the following questions in sentences.
Would you expect the car to be travelling at the same speed each time
it crossed the line? Explain your answer.
Did your calculations support this hypothesis?
Give a reason why your results were varied.
card
timer
photocell
0.453
light
source
runway
Repeat the previous experiment using the light gate to time the card
passing over the line.
5
Vectors and scalars
It is important that you know the common vector and scalar quantities.
18 km
A B
12 km
Distance is how far you have travelled, the winding route from A to B.
Displacement is the straight line distance from A to B. Direction is
important, it must go from A to B. In this case the direction would be
due east.
The direction of the velocity will be the same as the direction of the
displacement.
6
Example:
It takes a runner 2 hours to run from A to B along the
winding route. Calculate their average speed and average
velocity.
18 km
A B
12 km
Variables that you are already familiar with are listed in the table
below. You will add new variables as they appear in the course.
scalars vectors
distance displacement
speed velocity
time force
energy
temperature
7
Addition of Vectors
When two or more scalars are added together, the result is simply a
numerical sum.
For example a mass of 3kg and a mass of 5 kg, when added, make a
mass of 8kg.
When two or more vectors are added together, providing they act in
the same direction, the addition is straightforward.
5 m/s
20 m/s
20 m/s 5 m/s
8
The resultant of two or more vectors which act at angle to each other
can be found either using a scale diagram, or by Pythagoras and
trigonometry.
9
Example
A car travels 100 km South, then 140 km East. The time taken for the
whole journey is 3 hours.
10
Acceleration
a = acceleration (m/s2)
a = Δv/t
Δv = change in speed (m/s)
t = time for change (s)
Example 1:
a =? Δv = 20m/s t = 4s
a = Δv/t
a = 20/4
a = 5 m/s2
Acceleration is 5 m/s2
11
Example 2: (more difficult).
Δv = at
= 1.5 x 6
= 9m/s
12
Measuring Acceleration
mask photocells
computer
trolley light
0.453
source
runway
13
Speed Time Graphs
constant speed
speed (m/s)
25
10
0
0 5 time (s) 10
speed (m/s)
constant acceleration
20
0 5 time (s) 10
14
constant deceleration
speed (m/s)
20
deceleration
10 of 2 m/s2.
0
0 5 time (s) 10
Speed time graphs are useful to physicists because they can be used
to:
describe the motion of the object
calculate the acceleration of the object
calculate the distance travelled by the object
15
Collect ‘speed time graphs II’ sheet
Stick graph 1 into your jotter
Graph 1
20
C
18
16
14
12
speed (m/s)
A
10
B
8
2 D
O
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
time (s)
Task 1. Describe fully the motion of the object that produced the
graph above. The first part is done for you.
To calculate the distance the area under the graph must be used.
Graph 1
20
C
18
16
14
12 III
speed (m/s)
A
10
BB
8
4
I II IV
2 D
0
0
O 2 4 6 8 10 12
time (s)
Mark your answers using the mark scheme. Any questions that you get
wrong you need to find out why and write a short note to explain your
mistake.
18
The Effect of Forces
19
Measuring Forces
Use the Newton balances available to you and measure some forces
around the lab. Present your results in an appropriate way.
20
Weight and mass
These are two terms which can confuse pupils. We do not use them
correctly in a physics sense in everyday language. The correct
definitions are given below. Learn them.
Hang the required mass on the Newton balance, read off the weight
and enter it into the table. When you have completed this for all
masses, calculate the values in the final column.
21
All masses experience a force acting towards the centre of the Earth
[down!!]. The force depends on the mass and the gravitational field
strength. This force is called weight.
From the experiment that you have just completed you should have
found that each kilogram of mass experiences a force of 10N.
force
m g
Example:
W= mg
= 0.15 x 10
= 1.5N
22
Example:
A space probe has a mass of 500kg.
W = mg
= 500 x 10
= 5 000 N
W = mg
= 500 x 11
= 5 500 N
23
Friction
friction
engine force
24
Newton I
Collect a Newton balance and hang a mass of 400g from it. Copy the
table below
situation reading on
balance(N)
stationary
moving up at constant speed
moving down at constant speed
Hold the balance steady (you are providing a force to hold the balance
and masses up, you’ll feel this in your muscles) and record the reading
on the balance.
Raise the balance slowly at a constant speed, record the reading as the
balance is moving.
Lower the balance slowly at a constant speed, record the reading as the
balance is moving.
25
If an object is stationary or is moving at a constant speed the forces
acting on it are balanced. Balanced forces are equal in size but opposite
in direction. Balanced forces are equivalent to having no force acting at
all.
26
Seat belts – why wear them?
You might not think that there is a link between Isaac Newton and
safety in a car but there is.
Anyone not wearing a seatbelt is only attached to the car by the seat
of their trousers [or skirt]. This is a very small force, effectively zero,
so the person continues to
travel at 20m/s. They will
stop normally, unfortunately, 0m/ 20m/
by hitting the dashboard or s s
windscreen, ouch!!
27
Collect a laptop.
28
Why does a person not wearing a seatbelt continue to travel forwards
at the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle comes to a sudden stop?
What is the purpose of the seatbelt in a vehicle?
What differences did you notice between your two crash simulations?
Terminal Velocity
29
Forces in Outer Space and Motion
30
Newton II
photocells
computer
light
mask 0.453
trolley source
runway
force
hanger
31
Watch the demonstration, completing the table as the results are
obtained.
Use the data to draw a line graph of average acceleration against force
applied.
Fu = m x a
Fu
m a
Fu unbalanced force newtons, (N)
m mass kilograms, (kg)
a acceleration metres per second squared, (m/s2)
32
More than one force
100 N 2 500 N
800 kg
Fu = 2 500 – 100
= 2 400N
a = Fu/m
= 2 400/800
= 3 m/s2
Now attempt questions 55 – 72 (but not 57) from the problems booklet.
33
More than one force – Advanced
Sometimes when more than one force acts on an object they are not in
the same dimension [up – down, left – right]. This makes it more
difficult to calculate the resultant force.
Example: Two forces act on a box as shown below. Calculate the size
and direction of the resultant force.
4N
resultant
4N
3N
θ
3N
Use a scale diagram or Pythagoras
Size: r2 = 32 + 42
= 9 + 16 = 25
r = √25
=5N
opposite
Direction: Trigonometry tanθ =
adjacent
4
=
3
= 1.33
θ = 53.1˚
a = Fu = mg = g
m m
35
Projectiles
An object is thrown into the air. If air resistance is ignored, the only
force acting on it is its weight. This object will be known as a
projectile.
36
Projectiles calculations
A ball is kicked horizontally off the top of a wall. The initial speed of
the ball is 12 m/s. The ball takes 0.9s to land.
range = vh x t
= 12 x 0.9
= 10.8 m
speed = u + (a x t)
= 0 + (10 x 0.9)
= 9 m/s
37
To calculate the height of the wall, a speed time graph of the vertical
motion needs to be drawn.
10
8
speed (m/s)
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
time (s)
The height of the wall will be the vertical distance travelled, which is
the same as the area under the graph. [ page 17]
area = ½xbxh
= ½ x 0.9 x 12
= 5.4 m
38
Satellite Motion - An Extension of Projectile Motion
39
Dynamics Checklist
Mark your answers using the mark scheme. Any questions that you get
wrong you need to find out why and write a
short note to explain your mistake.
40
Work
Yes, it is a four letter word, but it isn’t bad! Work is a measure of how
much energy has been used or transferred.
If work is done lifting an object, work is done against the gravitational
field.
If work is done moving an object across a surface, work is done against
against friction.
The amount of work done depends on the size of the force and how far
the object has moved.
Ew
The force acting on the object will be its weight = mg. Since the
distance is vertical we call this the height = h. The equation now
becomes
Ew = Fd = mgh = EP
Ep
This is known as the gain in potential energy.
m g h
41
Power
Power = energy/time E
P = E/t
P t
Power watt (W)
Energy joule (J)
time second (s)
Consider:
What quantities you need to measure
What quantities you need to calculate
How you are going to do the experiment.
You should show your teacher your plan before you attempt the
experiment.
Write up the experiment in an appropriate form.
Draw a graph of the trolley speed squared against the number of bands.
43
Answer the following questions in sentences.
Ek
Ek = ½mv2
1
/2 m v2
44
Examples:
Ek = 1
/2mv2
= 1
/2[500 x (202)]
= 1
/2[500 x 400]
= 100 000J
Calculate the speed of a 6kg bowling ball that has a kinetic energy of
27J.
Ek = 1
/2mv2
27 = 1
/2[6 x (v2)]
54 = 6v2
v2 = 9
v = √9
v = 3m/s
45
Conservation of Energy
metre stick
10 cm plate
photocell
computer
light
0.453
source
46
Answer the following questions in sentences.
What happens to the value of the potential energy lost as the drop
height is increased?
What happens to the value of the kinetic energy lost as the drop height
is increased?
Compare columns two and four. What is the relationship between the
potential energy lost and the kinetic energy gained?
47
Energy Checklist
48