3 Unbalanced forces

Answers

Page 41 What is an unbalanced force? (2)

1. a) 1 N downwards
b) 7 N downwards
c) 102 + 22 = 10.22; 10.2 N downwards and to the left
d) 9 – 5 = 4 N to the right; 12 – 9 = 3 N upwards; 32 + 42= 52;
unbalanced force is 5 N upwards and to the right

Page 43 Data-based question: Investigating Newton’s second law

1. Time (s) Average Acceleration
Force (N)
1 2 3 time (s) (m/s2)
1.0 2.01 2.12 2.10 2.08 0.435
1.5 1.57 1.69 1.66 1.64 0.699
2.0 1.31 1.33 1.33 1.32 1.08
2.5 1.15 1.17 1.21 1.18 1.35
3.0 1.03 1.05 1.02 1.03 1.77
3.5 0.96 0.97 1.03 0.99 1.9
4.0 0.90 0.90 0.88 0.89 2.4
2. See table above
3. 2.5

2
acceleration (m/s2)

1.5

0.5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
force (N)

4. The graph is a straight line (which supports Newton’s 2nd Law);

however, the graph should pass through the origin if it is to be
directly proportional.

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Page 45 The first vehicle to travel at 100 mph
1. Total distance travelled (m) Total journey time (s)
0 0
402 10
804 19.8
1206 29.2
1608 38.4
2010 47.2

2. 2500

2000
total distance traveled (m)

1500

1000

500

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
time taken (s)

Acceleration is shown by slight upward curve

3. Initial speed = 402 ÷ 10 = 40.2 m/s; final speed = 402 ÷ 8.8 = 45.7 m/s
4. Acceleration = change in speed ÷ time taken
= (45.7 – 40.2) ÷ 37.2 = 0.147 m/s2
5. F = ma = 152,400 × 0.147 = 22,458 N
6. Possible suggestions include:
 More than one person timing
 More than one run and an average taken
 Text suggests that the track was (very slightly) downhill—a flat
track should be used

Page 46 What is an unbalanced force? (2)

1. F = ma = 80 × 4 = 320 N
2. a = F ÷ m = 160,000 ÷ 800,000 = 0.2 m/s 2
3. a = change in speed ÷ time = 30 ÷ 8 = 3.75 m/s 2
F = ma = 300 × 3.75 = 1,125 N

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 Page 47 What is work?

1. a) Work = force × distance = 800 × 10 = 8,000 J

b) a = F ÷ m = 800 ÷ 1,200 = 0.67 m/s2
c) The mass of the car is reduced; the force is increased; therefore,
both the work done and the acceleration will increase
d) New mass of car = 1,130 kg; new force = 1,600 N;
Work = force × distance = 1600 × 10 = 16,000 J
a = F ÷ m = 1,600 ÷ 1,130 = 1.42 m/s2

Summative assessment
Criterion A: Unbalanced forces and transportation
1. B
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. A

Criterion B: Testing different fuels

6. Type of fuel
1 mark for any sensible control variable; e.g. same amount of fuel
7.
used
8. Fuel Energy released (kJ)
Wood 150
Coal 200
Diesel 400
Gasoline 420
Methane 500
9. 500
450
400
energy released (kJ)

350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
wood coal diesel gasoline methane
fuel

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Criterion C: Electric cars
11. Air resistance is higher; need to exert more force to match air
resistance / more work to overcome air resistance
12. Accept between 22 and 32 km/hour
13. a) F = ma = 1,250 × 4 = 5,000 N
b) Work = force × distance = 5,000 N × 1,000 m
= 5,000,000 J (= 5 MJ)
c) Read from graph (5 MJ on y-axis), maximum speed = 180
km/h
14. Battery stores 250 MJ so can only use 1 MJ per kilometer;
From graph, car must travel at 78 km/h or slower;
Time = distance ÷ speed = 250 ÷ 78
= 3.2 hours (3 hours 12 minutes)

Criterion D: Using solar cells to propel spacecraft

15. How to propel a spacecraft

16. Advantage: does not require fuel / much lighter;
disadvantage: small forces / slow acceleration / expensive /
less control over direction
17. Area = 100 × 100 = 10,000; force = 10,000 × 0.000008 = 0.08 N;
18. a = F ÷ m = 0.08 ÷ 20,000 = 4 × 10–6 (4 millionths) m/s2
19. a) 4 × 10–6 × 60 × 60 × 24 = 0.3456 m/s
b) 4 × 10–6 × 60 × 60 × 24 × 365 = 126 m/s
c) 1 mark for putting quantities into equation; 1 mark for
converting time into seconds; 1 mark for answer;
s = 0.5 × a × t2 = 0.5 × 4 × 10–6 × (60 × 60 × 24 × 365)2
= 1.999 × 109 m (2 million km)

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