You should be able to:

• Draw a scale diagram to represent a single vector.

• Categorise a wide range of quantities as either vector or scalar.

• Compare a scalar and similar vector (e.g., distance and displacement or speed and velocity) explaining why these quantities are different.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Use scale diagrams to represent the sizes of forces acting on an object.

• Describe the action of pairs of forces in a limited range of scenarios in accordance with Newton’s Third Law.

• Investigate the effect of different lubricants on the size of frictional forces.

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Basics

You should be able to:

• Describe the operation and uses of a force multiplier lever.

• Explain why a force multiplier requires the effort force to act through a larger distance than the load.

• Perform calculations involving moments, including rearrangement of the equation.

• Design a system for recording data and associated calculations clearly.

Study resources

Basics

Assignment

You should be able to:

• State that gear systems can be used to increase or decrease the size of forces.

• Describe the action of levers being used as force multipliers including calculation of the size of the forces produced.

• Describe the action of a pair of gears in terms of increasing or decreasing the size of forces.

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Basics

You should be able to:

• Describe an experimental technique to determine the centre of mass of an object.

• Explain why a suspended object comes to rest with the centre of mass directly below the point of suspension in terms of balanced forces.

• Compare the stability of objects to the position of their centre of mass.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Find the weight of an object using a balanced beam.

• Use calculation of moments to determine if a seesaw is in equilibrium.

• Describe the application of moments in balance (equilibrium) in a range of contexts.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Resolve a single force into two perpendicular components by drawing a scaled vector diagram.

• Determine if an object is in equilibrium by considering the resolved horizontal and vertical forces.

• Investigate the effect of increasing the weight of an object on a slope on the component of the weight acting along the slope.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Use the gradients of distance–time graphs to compare the speeds of objects.

• Describe the motion of an object by interpreting distance–time graphs.

• Calculate the speed of an object and the time taken to travel a given distance using the speed equation.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Describe sections of velocity–time graphs, and compare the acceleration in these sections.

• Calculate the distance travelled using information taken from a velocity–time graph for one section of motion.

• Use a tangent to determine the speed of an object from a distance–time graph.

• Use the equation "v2 − u2 = 2as" in calculations where the initial or final velocity is zero.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Describe the effect of changing the mass or the force acting an object on the acceleration of that object.

• Perform calculations involving the rearrangement of the F = ma equation.

• Combine separate experimental conclusions to form an overall conclusion.

• Define the inertial mass of an object in terms of force and acceleration.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Calculate the weight of objects using their mass and the gravitational field strength.

• Apply the concept of balanced forces to explain why an object falling through a fluid will reach a terminal velocity.

• Investigate the relationship between the mass of an object and the terminal velocity.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Apply the law of conservation of momentum to find the momentum before and after impacts.

• Calculate the momentum of a combination of objects after an impact.

• Describe how the principle of conservation of momentum can be used to find the velocities of objects.

• Calculate the velocity of an object in an explosion.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Describe collisions in terms of forces and conservation of momentum.

• Calculate the force involved in an impact from the change in momentum and time.

• Describe the operation of some safety features of a car in simple terms.

• Report on the differences in safety features between expensive and inexpensive cars.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• State Hooke’s law.

• Calculate the extension of a material using its length and original length.

• Compare materials in terms of elastic and non-elastic behaviour.

• Explain the limitations of Hooke’s law including the limit of proportionality.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• State the factors that affect the pressure acting on a surface.

• State that pressure can be caused by the action of fluids (liquids and gases) on a surface.

• Use rearrangements of the pressure equation to calculate forces or areas of contact.

• Describe the effect on the pressure of changing the area of contact or weight acting on a surface.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Use the concept of force, mass, and volume to explain why the pressure increases with depth in a liquid.

• Rearrange the equation p=hρg to solve a range of questions involving the pressure in a liquid.

• Use the concept of pressure in a liquid to explain a range of structural design features.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Identify the key features of a mercury barometer & U-tube manometer.

• Describe the operation of a mercury barometer & U-tube manometer.

• Calculate atmospheric pressure using information from a mercury barometer & gas pressure using information from a U-tube manometer and atmospheric pressure.

Study resources

Basics

You should be able to:

• Describe the relationship between upthrust and weight for floating and submerged objects.

• Compare the density of an object with the density of a liquid to determine whether or not the object will float.

• Investigate the relationship between the average density of an object and the distance it submerges.

Study resources

Basics