Physic Form 4

Physical Quantity Definition, Quantity, Symbol and unit

Distance, d Distance is the total path length travelled from one location to another.

Quantity: Scalar; SI unit: metre (m)

Displacement, s The shortest distance between the initial position and the final position
in a specific direction

Quantity: Vector; SI unit: metre (m)

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Speed, v Speed is the rate of change of distance.

Quantity: Scalar; SI unit: ms-1

Velocity, v Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.

Quantity: Vector; SI unit: ms-1

Acceleration, a Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

Acceleration =

Quantity: Vector; SI unit: ms-2

If acceleration is
positive (a > 0)

The velocity of an object increases from an initial velocity, u, to a

higher final velocity, v. The distance travelled per second increases
exponentially.

If acceleration is The rate of decrease in velocity in a specified direction.

negative (a < 0) a.k.a
deceleration

The velocity of an object decreases from an initial velocity, u, to a

lower final velocity, v. The distance travelled per second decreases
exponentially.

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Zero acceleration An object moving at a constant velocity, that is, the magnitude and
direction of its velocity remain unchanged is not accelerating.

The distance travelled per second increases uniformly.

Constant Velocity increases at a uniform rate.

acceleration
When a car moves at a constant or uniform acceleration of 5 ms -2, its
velocity increases by 5 ms-1 for every second that the car is in motion.

Uniform speed The speed remains the same in magnitude regardless of its direction.

Uniform velocity The velocity remains the same in both magnitude and direction.

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Comparisons between distance and displacement

Distance Displacement
Total path length travelled from one The distance between the two locations
location to another. measured along the shortest path
connecting them in a specific direction.
Scalar quantity Vector quantity
It has magnitude but no direction. It has both magnitude and direction.
SI unit: metre (m) SI unit: metre (m)

Comparisons between speed and velocity

Speed Velocity
The rate of change of distance. The rate of change of displacement.

Scalar quantity Vector quantity

It has magnitude but no direction. It has both magnitude and direction.
SI unit: ms-1 SI unit: ms-1

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 Physic Form 4

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 Physic Form 4

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 Physic Form 4

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 Physic Form 4

1. Linear motion can be studied in the laboratory using a ticker timer and a ticker tape.

2. The ticker-timer can be used to determine the following variables.

(a) The time interval of the motion
(b) The displacement of the object
(c) The velocity of the object
(d) The acceleration of the object
(e) The type of motion of the object

3. Working principle of ticker timer and ticker tape

4. A ticker timer works on alternating current of frequency 50 Hz to make 50 ticks in 1 second on a ticker
tape.

5. One tick is the time interval between two adjacent dots on the ticker tape. Therefore, one tick
represents seconds or 0.02 seconds.

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Analysing Motion on a Ticker Tape

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Calculating Velocity

Calculating Acceleration (Single Strip)

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Calculating Acceleration (Ticker Tape Chart)

The diagram on the right shows a ticker tape chart for a moving trolley. The frequency of the ticker-timer used
is 50 Hz. Each strip of the tape is a 10-ticks length.

Photogate System and Electronic Timer

1. Linear motion also can be analysed by using photogate system and electronic timer.

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1. For linear motion with uniform acceleration, a, the displacement or distance travelled, s, in a particular
direction is given by:
s = Average velocity × Time taken

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