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Time: Marks: /50

Year 9 Forces Assessment

Q Description RAG

1 Motion graphs /9

2 Calculating speed /13

3 Distance-time graphs /9

4 Calculating Acceleration /8

5 Speed and Acceleration /12

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Questions

Q1.

(a) A car accelerates along a level road.

The diagram shows some of the horizontal forces acting on the car as it accelerates.

(i) A driving force acts on the car, as shown in the diagram.

State the name of the other force shown in the diagram.
(1)
.............................................................................................................................................
(ii) State the formula linking unbalanced force, mass and acceleration.
(1)

(iii) The unbalanced force acting on the car is 2900 N.

The mass of the car is 1200 kg.
Calculate the acceleration of the car.
(2)

acceleration = ........................................................... m/s 2

(b) The driver sees an obstacle in the road and applies the brakes.
The driver has a reaction time of 0.5 s. He applies the brakes for 2.5 s.
The graph shows how the velocity of the car changes from when the driver sees the obstacle until the
car stops.
 (i) Describe how the thinking distance is affected by the condition of the car's brakes and the speed of
the car.
(2)
condition of brakes ..................................................................................................................

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speed of car ...........................................................................................................................

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(ii) Use the graph to calculate the braking distance.
(3)

braking distance = ........................................................... m

(Total for question = 9 marks)

Q2.

A student investigates how the support forces acting on a metre rule are affected by the position of a
mass hanger.

He uses this apparatus.

This is the student's method.

 suspend a metre rule from its 10 cm and 90 cm marks using two newton meters
 place a mass hanger with a weight of 5 N at the 20 cm mark on the metre rule
 adjust the heights of the newton meters until the metre rule is horizontal
 record the readings on both newton meters

The student repeats the method, moving the mass hanger to a different position on the metre rule each
time.

(a) (i) State the independent variable in the student's investigation.

(1)
.............................................................................................................................................
(ii) State two control variables in the student's investigation.
(2)
1 ..........................................................................................................................................

2 ..........................................................................................................................................
(iii) Suggest how the student could improve the quality of his data.
(1)
.............................................................................................................................................

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(b) The table shows the student's results.

The graph shows the results for newton meter A.

(i) Plot the results for newton meter B.

(1)
(ii) Draw the line of best fit for newton meter B.
(1)
(iii) Describe the relationships shown by the graph.
(4)
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(c) Using ideas about moments, explain why the reading on newton meter A decreases as the mass
hanger is moved towards newton meter B.
(3)
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(Total for question = 13 marks)

Q3.

This question is about momentum.

(a) Which of these is the correct unit for momentum?

(1)
A kg / m / s
B kg2 m / s
C kg m / s2
D kg m / s
(b) The diagram shows an object before and after an explosion.

The object breaks into two parts, P and Q.

The parts move away from each other in opposite directions.

(i) State what is meant by the principle of conservation of momentum.

(2)
.............................................................................................................................................

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

(ii) Calculate the magnitude of the velocity of part P after the explosion.
(3)

velocity = ........................................................... m / s

(c) A child drops an egg from a height of 10 cm and the egg lands on the floor.

Explain why the egg is less likely to break if the floor is covered with a thick carpet than if the floor were
covered in hard tiles.
(3)
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(Total for question = 8 marks)
Q4.

The photograph shows a whale jumping out of the surface of the sea.

(a) At the top of the jump, the whale's velocity is 0 m/s.

The whale falls 2.2 m from the top of the jump to the surface of the sea.
Calculate the velocity of the whale when it hits the surface of the sea.
(4)

velocity = ........................................................... m/s

(b) A resultant force causes the whale to slow down when it hits the surface of the sea.
(i) Draw an arrow to show this resultant force.
(1)
 (ii) The resultant force acting on the whale is 18 000 N.
The mass of the whale is 4100 kg.
Calculate the acceleration of the whale.
(3)

acceleration = ........................................................... m/s 2

(Total for question = 8 marks)

Q5.

Schiaparelli is a spacecraft that was sent to Mars in 2016.

(a) Schiaparelli slowed down as it fell vertically through the atmosphere of Mars.
(i) Draw labelled arrows on the diagram to show the forces acting on Schiaparelli as it fell.
(3)
 (ii) Schiaparelli then opened a parachute to slow down.
Explain how the spacecraft reached a low terminal velocity after opening its parachute.
Use ideas about forces in your answer.
(4)
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(b) The parachute was disconnected when Schiaparelli was at a height of 2.0 m from the surface of Mars
and travelling at a speed of 0.45 m/s.
Use V2 = u2 + 2as to calculate the speed of the spacecraft just before it hits the surface of Mars.
[acceleration of free-fall on Mars = 3.4 m/s2]
(4)

speed = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 11 marks)

Mark Scheme

Q1.

Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.