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IGCSE Physics Notes

1.1-1.4 Length, Time, Motion, Mass, Weight, and Density

How many significant figures and decimal places are in these numbers:

Round the following to 3 significant figures

Convert the following to scientific notation (Standard form):

Convert the following units:

Length and Time:

Measure the pencil: ____________________

How do we measure thickness of a single sheet of paper?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

How to avoid parallax error?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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IGCSE Physics Notes

Finding diameter of a sphere:

Find the time of one lap:

Finding oscillation:

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IGCSE Physics Notes

Precautions to measure height of pendulum

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Explain why measuring time of 20 swing (oscillation) rather than 1 swing is more accurate

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Why measuring the time of 200 oscillations isn’t suitable?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Practical reason why the result obtained is different/inaccurate:

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggest improvement for experiment:

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What affects the period of the pendulum?

__________________________________________________________________________________

What is distance and Displacement:

Distance Displacement

Definition

Scalar or vector
Unit

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IGCSE Physics Notes

What is the displacement for the example given above?_____________________

What is speed?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Unit: _____________

Formula:

Average Speed Formula:

What is velocity?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Formula:

Unit:

What is acceleration?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Unit:

Formula:

What changes in motion is considered acceleration?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Distance-time graphs:
What can we get:

1.
2.

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IGCSE Physics Notes

Describe the motion in terms of gradient, speed and acceleration.

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IGCSE Physics Notes

Speed-time graphs:

We get the following things from the speed-time graph:

1.
2.
3.

Determine the gradient, speed and acceleration of the following graphs:

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IGCSE Physics Notes

What is the area under the graph could look like?

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IGCSE Physics Notes

Free fall:

What is free fall?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Draw the speed-time graph of an object in free fall with no air resistance and with air resistance:

Explain in terms of forces what happens to the motion of an object falling in air.

__________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Define each aspect of the speed-time graph of a parachutist:

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IGCSE Physics Notes

What is mass?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Unit of mass:

How do we measure it?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Find the mass to the nearest gram:

What is inertia?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What is weight?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Unit of weight: ________________

How do we measure it?

__________________________________________________________________________________

What is gravity?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What is gravitational field?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What is gravitational field strength?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

How do we find weight of an object on earth using its mass?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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IGCSE Physics Notes

Fill the table:

Mass Weight

In space 1000 kg

On the Moon

On Earth

Mass Weight

Definition

Scalar or vector

Unit

How to measure

Does it remain the

same?

What is density?

Unit:

Formula:

Write the formula of volume for the following objects:

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IGCSE Physics Notes

How to find the density of irregular objects?

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How to find the density of liquids?

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Why do objects float or sink?

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3 A car travels at constant speed v on a horizontal, straight road. The driver sees an obstacle on the
road ahead.

(a) The distance travelled in the time between the driver seeing the obstruction and applying the
brakes is the thinking distance.

Explain why the thinking distance is directly proportional to v.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) When the brakes are applied, the car decelerates uniformly to rest. The frictional force applied
by the brakes is constant. The distance travelled between first applying the brakes and the
car stopping is the braking distance.

Explain why the braking distance is proportional to v 2.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(c) The car is travelling at 22 m / s.

(i) The thinking distance is 15 m.

Calculate the time taken to travel the thinking distance.

time = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) The car has a mass of 1400 kg. The time taken for the car to stop after the brakes are
applied is 2.1 s.

Calculate the force required to stop the car in this time.

force = ......................................................... [2]

[Total: 8]
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2

1 A car of mass m is travelling along a straight, horizontal road at a constant speed v.

At time t = 0, the driver of the car sees an obstruction in the road ahead of the car and applies the
brakes.

The car does not begin to decelerate at t = 0.

(a) Explain what is meant by deceleration.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) Suggest one reason why the car does not begin to decelerate at t = 0.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(c) Fig. 1.1 is the distance–time graph for the car from t = 0.

60

distance / m

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
time / s

Fig. 1.1

(i) State the property of a distance–time graph that corresponds to speed.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Using Fig. 1.1, determine the initial speed v of the car.

v = ......................................................... [2]

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(d) When the car is decelerating, there is a constant resistive force F on the car due to the
brakes.
F and is not constant.
The deceleration of the car is greater than m

Explain why:

(i) F
the deceleration of the car is greater than m

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) the deceleration is not constant.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 9]

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2

1 Fig. 1.1 shows a balloon filled with helium gas.

Fig. 1.1

The mass of the balloon is 120 kg.

(a) Calculate the weight of the balloon. Show your working.

weight = ......................................................... [1]

(b) The resultant force on the balloon is 54 N.

Show that the acceleration of the balloon is 0.45 m / s2.

[2]

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(c) The balloon accelerates upwards from rest at 0.45 m / s2 for 8.0 s.

Calculate the velocity of the balloon after 8.0 s.

velocity = ......................................................... [2]

(d) Calculate the distance travelled by the balloon in the first 8.0 s.

distance = ......................................................... [2]

[Total: 7]

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2

1 (a) Fig. 1.1 shows a helicopter which is stationary at a height of 1500 m above the ground.

1500 m

ground

Fig. 1.1 (not to scale)

(i) State the two conditions necessary for the helicopter to remain in equilibrium.

condition 1 .........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

condition 2 .........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) The mass of the helicopter is 3200 kg.

Calculate the change in the gravitational potential energy of the helicopter as it rises
from the ground to 1500 m.

change in gravitational potential energy = ......................................................... [2]

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3

(b) Fig. 1.2 shows a vertical speed–time graph for a parachutist who jumps from a stationary
hot-air balloon.

A
speed

B
0
0 time

Fig. 1.2

The parachutist jumps from the balloon at time = 0 and reaches the ground at B. The point A
indicates when the parachute opens.

(i) On Fig. 1.2, label a point on the graph where the acceleration is:
• zero with ‘1’
• negative with ‘2’
• decreasing with ‘3’. [3]

(ii) Explain, in terms of forces, the changes in motion which occur from when the parachutist
leaves the hot-air balloon until point A.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [4]

[Total: 11]

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2

1 A rocket is launched vertically upwards from the ground. The rocket travels with uniform
acceleration from rest. After 8.0 s, the speed of the rocket is 120 m / s.

(a) Calculate the acceleration of the rocket.

acceleration = ........................................................ [2]

(b) (i) On Fig. 1.1, draw the graph for the motion of the rocket in the first 8.0 s.

200
speed
m/s

150

100

50

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
time / s

Fig. 1.1
[1]

(ii) Use the graph to determine the height of the rocket at 8.0 s.

height = ........................................................ [2]

(iii) From time = 8.0 s to time = 20.0 s, the rocket rises with increasing speed but with
decreasing acceleration.

From time = 20.0 s to time = 25.0 s, the rocket has a constant speed of less than 200 m / s.

On Fig. 1.1, draw the graph for this motion. [3]

[Total: 8]
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2

1 (a) Define acceleration.

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) Fig. 1.1 shows the distance-time graph for the journey of a cyclist.

350

300
distance / m
250

200

150

100

50

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
time / s

Fig. 1.1

(i) Describe the motion of the cyclist in the time between:

1. time = 0 and time = 15 s

...........................................................................................................................................

2. time = 15 s and time = 30 s

...........................................................................................................................................

3. time = 30 s and time = 40 s.

...........................................................................................................................................
[3]

(ii) Calculate, for the 40 s journey:

1. the average speed

average speed = ......................................................... [2]

2. the maximum speed.

maximum speed = ......................................................... [2]

[Total: 8]
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2

1 A ball rolls down a ramp and onto a horizontal surface. The first section of the horizontal surface is
smooth. The second section of the horizontal surface is rough. Fig. 1.1 shows a speed–time graph
for the ball.

14.0

speed
m/s
12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0
0 1.0 2.0 3.0
time / s

Fig. 1.1

(a) State the time when the ball reaches the start of the rough section of the horizontal surface.

time = ..................................................... [1]

(b) Explain how Fig. 1.1 shows that there is no resultant force on the ball when it rolls along the
smooth section of the horizontal surface.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

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(c) Using Fig. 1.1, determine the acceleration of the ball as it rolls down the ramp.

acceleration = ..................................................... [3]

(d) The ball starts from rest at the top of the ramp.

Show that the length of the ramp is 9.6 m.

[2]

[Total: 8]

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2

1 A skydiver of mass 76 kg is falling vertically in still air. At time t = 0, the skydiver opens his
parachute.

Fig. 1.1 is the speed–time graph for the skydiver from t = 0.

60

speed
m/s
40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
t/s
Fig. 1.1

(a) Using Fig. 1.1, determine:

(i) the deceleration of the skydiver immediately after the parachute opens

deceleration = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) the force due to air resistance acting on the skydiver immediately after the parachute
opens.

force = ......................................................... [3]

(b) Explain, in terms of the forces acting on the skydiver, his motion between t = 0 and t = 6.0 s.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(c) Explain why opening the parachute cannot reduce the speed of the skydiver to zero.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 10]
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2

1 (a) Define acceleration.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) Fig. 1.1 shows two speed–time graphs, A and B, and two distance–time graphs, C and D.

speed speed

A
B

0 0
0 time 0 time

distance distance
C
D

0 0
0 time 0 time

Fig. 1.1

Describe the motion shown by:

(i) graph A ..............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) graph B ..............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(iii) graph C .............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iv) graph D. ............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 7]

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2

1 Fig. 1.1 shows the speed–time graph of a person on a journey.

On the journey, he walks and then waits for a bus. He then travels by bus. He gets off the bus and
waits for two minutes. He then walks again. His journey takes 74 minutes.

50

speed
km / h
40

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
time / min

Fig. 1.1

(a) For the whole journey calculate:

(i) the distance travelled

distance = ......................................................... [3]

(ii) the average speed.

average speed = ......................................................... [2]

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(b) State and explain which feature of a speed–time graph shows acceleration.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(c) State and explain the acceleration of the person at time = 40 minutes.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 9]

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