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Physics · Chapter 2: Vectors, velocity and acceleration

Year 11 Science · About 15 minutes with activities · Turn your sound on

Chapter 2 · Velocity and acceleration
One lap = 400 m
Start = finish
Distance: 400 mevery step counts
Displacement: 0 myou ended where you started
Speed: 5 m s⁻¹400 m ÷ 80 s
Velocity: 0 m s⁻¹0 m ÷ 80 s

Chapter 2 recap

  • Scalars have only a magnitude (mass, time, energy, distance, speed). Vectors have a magnitude AND a direction (force, acceleration, displacement, velocity) and are drawn as arrows.
  • Distance is how far you travelled. Displacement is how far you travelled from a particular location, with a direction. One lap of a track: 400 m distance, 0 m displacement.
  • Speed = distance ÷ time; velocity = displacement ÷ time (m s⁻¹). Acceleration a = (vf − vi) ÷ Δt in m s⁻², and vf = vi + at. Negative a = decelerating.
  • Next: Chapter 3 · Speed–time graphs

You ran 400 m and ended where you started. How far did you go?

Chapter 2 · About 15 minutes · sound on

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