A Level AQA Physics Mechanics
State the principle of moments - Answer for a system in equilibrium, the sum of the
clockwise moments equals the sum of the anti-clockwise moments
Define acceleration - Answer rate of change of velocity
Define vector quantity - Answer a quantity that has both magnitude and direction
Symbol for initial velocity - Answer u
Symbol for displacement - Answer s
Symbol for final velocity - Answer v
Symbol for acceleration - Answer a
Symbol for time - Answer t
Unit for displacement - Answer m
Unit for velocity - Answer m s⁻¹
Unit for acceleration - Answer m s⁻²
Unit for time - Answer s
Name the vector quantities - Answer acceleration, displacement, velocity, magnetic flux
density, momentum, force, impulse
Name the scalar quantities - Answer distance, speed, energy, volume, area, electric
field strength
What is Newton's first law? - Answer the velocity of an object won't change unless a
resultant force acts on it. This means a body will stay still or move in a straight line at a
constant speed unless there's a resultant force acting on it
What is Newton's second law? - Answer resultant force = mass x acceleration, this
means a larger force acting on an object causes a larger acceleration, and a larger
mass means a smaller acceleration for a given force
What is Newton's third law? - Answer if an object A exerts a force on object B, the
object B exerts an equal but opposite force on object A. This means every action has an
equal and opposite reaction
How to add vectors? - Answer use the scale given. Draw the vectors to correct lengths
and angles. Follow arrows from tip to tail. The final displacement from the starting point
is called the resultant vector
, A Level AQA Physics Mechanics
Define component vector - Answer vectors that can replace a vector as they have the
same effect, when combined
What does the gradient represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer velocity
What does a straight line represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer constant
velocity
What does a curve represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer changing velocity
and object is accelerating
What does a positive gradient represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer
positive velocity
What does the gradient represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer acceleration
What does a straight line represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer constant
acceleration
What does a horizontal line represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer constant
velocity
What does a horizontal line represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer
stationary
What does the area under graph represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer
displacement
What does an upwards slope represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer positive
acceleration
What does a line under the x axis represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer negative
displacement
What does a curve represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer changing acceleration
What does a horizontal line on the x axis represent in an acceleration time graph? -
Answer constant velocity
What does a horizontal line where a ≠ 0 represent in an acceleration time graph? -
Answer uniform acceleration
What does a line above the time axis represent in an acceleration time graph? - Answer
acceleration
State the principle of moments - Answer for a system in equilibrium, the sum of the
clockwise moments equals the sum of the anti-clockwise moments
Define acceleration - Answer rate of change of velocity
Define vector quantity - Answer a quantity that has both magnitude and direction
Symbol for initial velocity - Answer u
Symbol for displacement - Answer s
Symbol for final velocity - Answer v
Symbol for acceleration - Answer a
Symbol for time - Answer t
Unit for displacement - Answer m
Unit for velocity - Answer m s⁻¹
Unit for acceleration - Answer m s⁻²
Unit for time - Answer s
Name the vector quantities - Answer acceleration, displacement, velocity, magnetic flux
density, momentum, force, impulse
Name the scalar quantities - Answer distance, speed, energy, volume, area, electric
field strength
What is Newton's first law? - Answer the velocity of an object won't change unless a
resultant force acts on it. This means a body will stay still or move in a straight line at a
constant speed unless there's a resultant force acting on it
What is Newton's second law? - Answer resultant force = mass x acceleration, this
means a larger force acting on an object causes a larger acceleration, and a larger
mass means a smaller acceleration for a given force
What is Newton's third law? - Answer if an object A exerts a force on object B, the
object B exerts an equal but opposite force on object A. This means every action has an
equal and opposite reaction
How to add vectors? - Answer use the scale given. Draw the vectors to correct lengths
and angles. Follow arrows from tip to tail. The final displacement from the starting point
is called the resultant vector
, A Level AQA Physics Mechanics
Define component vector - Answer vectors that can replace a vector as they have the
same effect, when combined
What does the gradient represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer velocity
What does a straight line represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer constant
velocity
What does a curve represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer changing velocity
and object is accelerating
What does a positive gradient represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer
positive velocity
What does the gradient represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer acceleration
What does a straight line represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer constant
acceleration
What does a horizontal line represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer constant
velocity
What does a horizontal line represent in a displacement time graph? - Answer
stationary
What does the area under graph represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer
displacement
What does an upwards slope represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer positive
acceleration
What does a line under the x axis represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer negative
displacement
What does a curve represent in a velocity time graph? - Answer changing acceleration
What does a horizontal line on the x axis represent in an acceleration time graph? -
Answer constant velocity
What does a horizontal line where a ≠ 0 represent in an acceleration time graph? -
Answer uniform acceleration
What does a line above the time axis represent in an acceleration time graph? - Answer
acceleration
