Physics Practice Assignments Prepared by: Mr.

Fong Choo Wah

For classes 23S01, 23S08 and 23S11

St Andrew’s Junior College

Physics Assignment
Assignment 2

Tutor: Mr. Fong Choo Wah (FCW)

Received: _____________
Submission: _____________

Topic 2: Kinematics

2.1 Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration

1. Explain the difference(s) between:

(a) distance moved and displacement

(b) speed and velocity
(c) instantaneous and average velocity
(d) uniform and non-uniform acceleration

2.2 Graphical Representations of motion

2. A man walks at a constant speed, 80 metres to a nearby shop to buy

newspapers and this takes him 2 minutes. He stays in the shop for 2
minutes and then walks home again, this time taking 3 minutes to walk the
80 metres back to his front door. Draw graphs of

(i) distance versus time

(ii) displacement versus time
(iii) velocity versus time

You may assume he transits between his house and shop in a straight
line.

2-1
Physics Practice Assignments Prepared by: Mr. Fong Choo Wah
For classes 23S01, 23S08 and 23S11

3. The diagram shows a displacement-time graph for a body. Describe the

motion of the body for each of the sections AB, BC, CD etc.

Displacement/ m
E

D F
C

B
A
Time/ s
G
A

4. Look at the graph below. It shows the velocity of a sky diver.

(a) What would you expect her acceleration to be at A?
(b) How would you measure it from the graph?
(c) Explain the curve from A to B.
(d) What is happening at C?
(e) What do you think happens at X?
(f) Why is the velocity at D lower than at C?

2-2
Physics Practice Assignments Prepared by: Mr. Fong Choo Wah
For classes 23S01, 23S08 and 23S11

5. An arrow is fired vertically upwards, reaches a height of 100m, and then

falls back to the ground. Sketch a velocity-time graph of the motion and
calculate:

(a) the initial velocity of the arrow

(b) the time taken to reach maximum height
(c) the velocity/velocities of the arrow when it is 55m above the ground
(d) the height of the arrow 6.0s after firing

Sketch the corresponding (i) displacement-time and (ii) acceleration-time

graph and briefly state how you obtain it.

6. A sports car moves from rest with uniform acceleration to reach a velocity
of 25ms −1 in 6.0s. It then maintains this velocity for a further 12.0s after
which it is uniformly retarded until it comes to rest 38s after the start of the
motion. Sketch a velocity-time graph of the whole journey and calculate:

(a) the initial acceleration of the car

(b) the final retardation
(c) the total distance travelled
(d) the average velocity

7. A car is travelling along a straight road. The graph shows the variation
with time of its acceleration during part of the journey.

At which point on the graph does the car have its greatest

(i) Acceleration
(ii) Velocity
(iii) Displacement

acceleration
+

2-3
Physics Practice Assignments Prepared by: Mr. Fong Choo Wah
For classes 23S01, 23S08 and 23S11

2.3 Motion Equations

8. Michael Shoemaker is a part-time professional racer. One day he travels

along the motorway at 35m/s. He didn’t notice a stationary police car,
which then gives chase. The police car accelerates at 2.5m/s 2 until it
overtakes the speeding car.

(a) How long does it take for the police car to draw level with the
speeding car?
(b) How far does the police car travel before this happens?
(c) Sketch a graph of distance against time, showing the positions of
both cars

9. (a) The ‘Thinking Distance’ is the distance the car moves while the driver
is reacting before the brakes are applied. Explain how and why the
thinking distance varies with speed.

(b) The ‘braking distance’ is the distance the car travels while decelerating
once the brakes have been applied. Given that the speed the car is
traveling in is 22.4 m/s, and the braking distance is 38m, find the
deceleration of the car.

10. 2 similar tennis balls are released from a 30 m tower at the same time.
One falls from the top, the other from half way up. Which of the following
is (are) the same for both balls: acceleration, final speed, increase in
velocity, time of travel?

2.4 Motion of a body in a uniform gravitational field

11. (a) In a Disney cartoon, Mickey Mouse drop a stone down the well and
starts to count. He stops counting when he hears the stone hitting the
water. He then announces proudly, “This well is exactly 3 seconds deep.”
How deep is the well really? State any assumption(s) you made.

(b) Donald Duck thinks that he can reduce the time the stone reaches the
bottom of the well. He takes another stone, which is twice as heavy as that
of Mickey’s and predicts, “This stone will takes only 1.5s to hit the water.”
Discuss whether he is right. State any assumption(s) you made.

12. A stone is thrown vertically upwards from the ground with an initial velocity
of 30ms −1 . Calculate:

(a) the maximum height reached

(b) the time taken to return to the ground

2-4
Physics Practice Assignments Prepared by: Mr. Fong Choo Wah
For classes 23S01, 23S08 and 23S11

2.5 Projectile Motion

13. A long jumper leaves the ground with an initial velocity of 12 m/s at an
angle of 28-degrees above the horizontal. Determine the time of flight, the
horizontal distance, and the peak height of the long-jumper.

14. A man of height 1.80m fires a plastic bullet from a toy gun with an initial
velocity of 120m/s at his head level. If he fires the bullet at 45° to the
horizontal,
(a) Determine the component velocities in the vertical and
horizontal directions
(b) Calculate the time taken for the bullet to rise to the top of
its trajectory and fall to the ground
(c) Find the horizontal distance traveled while the shell goes
up and down the time calculated in (b) and hence find
where it lands
(d) State the direction in which the shell is traveling at the top
of its trajectory

15. How will the range of a projectile fired at 20 degrees above the horizontal
on a flat ground compare to the range of a projectile fired at 70 degrees?
Explain.

16. A bullet is fired horizontally at 200m/s, at a target 40m away. Neglecting

air resistance,
(a) how far below the point of aim will it hit the target (that is how far it
drops?)
(b) at what angle will it enter the target?

17. Cliff divers of Acapulco, Mexico, take off horizontally from a rocky cliff face
26.5m above the surface of water. In the course of their flight, of which all
but the last 1.5m of their horizontal distance is above rock, they travel
8.0m forward.

(a) For how long are they in the air

(b) For how long are they over the water during their flight
(c) What is their vertical velocity on entry
(d) At what angle is their path to the vertical at entry

18. A golfer makes an approach shot which travels a horizontal distance of

46m before landing on the green, at the same level as the point from
which the shot was played. If the golf ball is projected at an angle of 40°
above the horizontal, calculate:
(a) the velocity of projection of the ball
(b) the time taken for the ball to reach its maximum height
(c) the maximum height reached

2-5