PAPER 2 THEORY QUESTIONS

1 Fig. 1.1 shows a car travelling at 30 m/s on a level road. At this speed the car has to
overcome a total force of 600 N opposing the car.

(a) (i) Calculate the distance travelled by the car in 10 s.

distance = ......................................

(ii) State the value of the driving force produced by the engine for a steady speed of
30 m/s.
....................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Explain why the car slows down when it climbs a hill, even though the driving force is
unchanged.
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(c) While on the level road and travelling at 30 m/s, the driving force becomes zero. The mass
of the car is 800 kg. Calculate the deceleration of the car.

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

2 Fig. 2.1 shows the horizontal forces acting on a moving car.

Fig. 2.1
(a) Compare the sizes and directions of the two forces when the car is
(i) moving along a straight road at constant speed,
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(ii) accelerating.
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MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Dynamics 1
 (b) Suggest the direction of the resultant force on the car when the car turns a corner at
constant speed.
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.............................................................................................................................................. [1]
(c) Fig. 2.2 shows the speed-time graph for the first 24 s of the motion of the car along a straight
road.

Fig. 2.2
(i) During the motion there is a period of uniform acceleration. State both the start and
finish times of this period.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]

(iii) Calculate the acceleration of the car during the first 5 s. State clearly the equation that
you use. [3]

(iv) Determine the distance travelled in the first 5 s. [3]

(d) The car is stopped by applying the brakes. Various factors can affect the distance travelled
by the car during the time that the brakes are applied. Apart from the force applied by the
brakes, state two of these factors.
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.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Dynamics 2

3 When a car driver sees an emergency ahead, he applies the brakes. During his reaction time the
car travels at a steady speed and covers a distance known as the thinking distance. The braking
distance is the distance travelled by the car after the brakes are applied.

(a) Fig.3.1 shows the speed-time graph of a car.

The driver sees the emergency at time t = 0.

The total mass of the car is 800 kg.

Fig. 3.1
Calculate

(i) the thinking distance,

[2]

(ii) the braking distance,

[2]

(iii) the deceleration of the car during braking,

[2]

(iv) the force provided by the brakes.

[2]
MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Dynamics 3
 (c) Using ideas about friction and deceleration, state and explain how the braking distance is
affected by
(i) using new tyres rather than badly worn tyres,
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(ii) the car skidding on a wet road,

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(iii) the car carrying a heavy load of passengers.
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4 Fig. 4.1 shows a car braking on a road and coming to rest.

Fig. 4.1
(a) Explain what is meant by
(i) the thinking distance,
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....................................................................................................................................... [1]
(ii) the braking distance.
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....................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) An engineer conducts a test on the car and finds that the braking distance is greater when
the car is fully loaded than when it is unloaded.
(i) Apart from the road conditions, state what must be kept the same in the test.
....................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Explain why the car has a greater braking distance when fully loaded.
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....................................................................................................................................... [1]
(c) State and explain how one road condition affects the braking distance of the car. Use ideas
about friction in your answer.
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.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Dynamics 4

 (d) Explain how wider tyres affect the pressure of the car on the surface of the road.
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.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(e) The car has a total mass of 900 kg and is travelling at 20 m / s. At time t = 0, the driver sees
an accident ahead. He applies the brakes at t = 0.60 s to stop the car. After the
brakes are applied, the car comes to rest in a further 4.0 s.

(i) Calculate the deceleration of the car as it brakes.

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

(ii) Calculate the braking force acting on the car.

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

(iii) On Fig. 4.2, draw a speed-time graph for the car as it brakes. [3]

(iv) State how your graph in (iii) can be used to find the total distance travelled by the car.
..........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................... [1]

MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Dynamics 5

5 (b) Several forces act on the train when it is moving.
(i) Name the horizontal and vertical forces that act on the train and give the direction of
each force.
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(ii) Explain whether the horizontal forces are balanced or unbalanced,

1. when the train accelerates,
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2. when the train travels at constant speed,

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3. when the train decelerates.

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You may draw diagrams to help your explanations.

6 Fig. 6.1 shows the horizontal forces as a cyclist travels forwards.

Fig. 6.1
The cyclist produces the driving force that acts on the back wheel.
In this question, you may ignore any frictional force acting on the front wheel.

(a) The bicycle accelerates until a constant speed is reached.

(i) Describe how the size of the air resistance changes during this time.
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....................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) Compare the sizes of the two horizontal forces when the bicycle is accelerating.

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

MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Dynamics 6