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Physics Quiz - Forces - Forces and Braking (Questions)

This GCSE Physics quiz explores forces and braking, including stopping distances, thinking time, and the factors that affect how safely vehicles can slow down and stop.

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Fascinating Fact:

Stopping distance is the sum of thinking distance and braking distance, so both reaction time and braking performance matter.

In GCSE Physics, forces and braking cover how vehicles slow down and stop safely. You learn how speed, reaction time, road conditions, and brakes combine to affect stopping distance.

Key Terms

  • Stopping distance: The total distance a vehicle travels from first seeing a hazard until it comes to a complete stop.
  • Thinking distance: The distance travelled while the driver reacts and moves their foot from the accelerator to the brake.
  • Braking distance: The distance the vehicle travels from when the brakes are applied until it stops.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is stopping distance in GCSE Physics?

Stopping distance in GCSE Physics is the total distance a vehicle moves from spotting a hazard to stopping. It is calculated as thinking distance plus braking distance.

What factors affect a driver's thinking distance?

Thinking distance increases if the driver is tired, distracted, stressed, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and also increases when the vehicle is travelling at a higher speed.

What factors can increase braking distance?

Braking distance increases on wet or icy roads, with worn tyres or brakes, when the vehicle is heavily loaded, and when the vehicle is travelling at a higher speed.

Try These Related Quizzes

1. If a car is travelling at a steady speed, what can be said of the driving and resistive forces acting on the car?
[ ] In equilibrium
[ ] Driving forces are twice as large as the resistive forces
[ ] Resistive forces are twice as large as the driving forces
[ ] There are no resistive forces acting on the car at a steady speed
2. A car stops in 20 m when travelling at 30 kilometers per hour. If the car is travelling at 40 kilometres per hour, how far does the car take to stop?
[ ] 20m
[ ] 26m
[ ] 27m
[ ] 30m
3. Which of the following statements is true?
[ ] The greater the speed of a vehicle, the greater the braking force needed to stop it within a certain distance
[ ] The smaller the speed of a vehicle, the greater the braking force needed to stop it within a certain distance
[ ] The greater the speed of a vehicle, the less braking force is needed to stop it within a certain distance
[ ] The greater the mass of a vehicle, the less braking force is needed to stop it within a certain distance
4. What is braking distance?
[ ] The distance travelled in 10 seconds when a car is accelerating
[ ] The distance travelled while the brakes are applied
[ ] The distance required to accelerate to 100mph
[ ] The energy required to stop in a given distance
5. What is stopping distance?
[ ] Braking distance
[ ] Reaction time
[ ] Braking distance and reaction distance
[ ] Reaction distance
6. If a driver's reaction time is 0.2 s and the braking time when their car is travelling at 10 m/s is 10 s, how far does the car travel before it comes to rest?
[ ] 50m
[ ] 51m
[ ] 52m
[ ] 53m
7. What can affect a driver's reaction time?
[ ] Drink
[ ] Drugs
[ ] Tiredness
[ ] All of the above
8. Which statement is true?
[ ] When the brakes are applied, work done by friction between the brake and wheel increases the kinetic energy of the vehicle and decreases the temperature of the brakes
[ ] When the brakes are applied, work done by friction between the brake and wheel reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle and increases the temperature of the brakes
[ ] When the brakes are released, work done by friction between the brake and wheel reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle and increases the temperature of the brakes
[ ] When the brakes are applied, work done by friction between the brake and wheel reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle and decreases the temperature of the brakes
9. What can affect a vehicle's braking distance?
[ ] Worn brakes
[ ] Adverse weather
[ ] Worn tyres
[ ] All of the above
10. What is the greatest resistive force a car experiences when no braking forces are applied?
[ ] Air resistance
[ ] Passenger weight
[ ] Stones
[ ] Rain

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Motion of vehicles

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Physics Quiz - Forces - Forces and Braking (Answers)
1. If a car is travelling at a steady speed, what can be said of the driving and resistive forces acting on the car?
[x] In equilibrium
[ ] Driving forces are twice as large as the resistive forces
[ ] Resistive forces are twice as large as the driving forces
[ ] There are no resistive forces acting on the car at a steady speed
Whenever forces are in equilibrium, motion is either unchanging or the object is stationary
2. A car stops in 20 m when travelling at 30 kilometers per hour. If the car is travelling at 40 kilometres per hour, how far does the car take to stop?
[ ] 20m
[ ] 26m
[x] 27m
[ ] 30m
Some questions regarding braking can be answered by using nothing more complicated than simple ratios to calculate distances
3. Which of the following statements is true?
[x] The greater the speed of a vehicle, the greater the braking force needed to stop it within a certain distance
[ ] The smaller the speed of a vehicle, the greater the braking force needed to stop it within a certain distance
[ ] The greater the speed of a vehicle, the less braking force is needed to stop it within a certain distance
[ ] The greater the mass of a vehicle, the less braking force is needed to stop it within a certain distance
The driver needs to push the brake pedal harder. This could lead to the dangerous situation where the force of braking locks up the wheels. When this happens, the driver has little control over the vehicle. To avoid this danger, most vehicles are now equipped with anti-locking braking systems
4. What is braking distance?
[ ] The distance travelled in 10 seconds when a car is accelerating
[x] The distance travelled while the brakes are applied
[ ] The distance required to accelerate to 100mph
[ ] The energy required to stop in a given distance
Faster speeds mean greater braking distances are required. Careful drivers therefore leave more of a gap between their vehicle and the one in front at higher speeds
5. What is stopping distance?
[ ] Braking distance
[ ] Reaction time
[x] Braking distance and reaction distance
[ ] Reaction distance
The stopping distance is the distance the car will travel in total. This takes into consideration how long it takes a driver to react to a situation and consequently the distance travelled during this period. It also takes into consideration the distance the car takes to stop once the brakes have been applied
6. If a driver's reaction time is 0.2 s and the braking time when their car is travelling at 10 m/s is 10 s, how far does the car travel before it comes to rest?
[ ] 50m
[ ] 51m
[x] 52m
[ ] 53m
At a speed of 10 m/s, the car travels one metre every 0.1 second. With a thinking time of 0.2 seconds, the car will therefore have travelled 2 metres.

You have the initial speed of the car before braking, the final speed after braking (must be 0 m/s since it has stopped) and the time it took to stop the car. You can therefore use the equation s = ½ (v+u) × t to calculate the stopping distance. This is then added to the distance travelled during the thinking time to come up with the answer. You could also use s = ut + ½ at2 but you would then need to take the additional step of calculating the acceleration.

Make sure that you learn the equations of motion linking initial velocity (u), final velocity (v), acceleration (a), displacement (s) and time (t).
7. What can affect a driver's reaction time?
[ ] Drink
[ ] Drugs
[ ] Tiredness
[x] All of the above
The other factor is distraction - talking to passengers, using their mobile phone, loud music and so on
8. Which statement is true?
[ ] When the brakes are applied, work done by friction between the brake and wheel increases the kinetic energy of the vehicle and decreases the temperature of the brakes
[x] When the brakes are applied, work done by friction between the brake and wheel reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle and increases the temperature of the brakes
[ ] When the brakes are released, work done by friction between the brake and wheel reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle and increases the temperature of the brakes
[ ] When the brakes are applied, work done by friction between the brake and wheel reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle and decreases the temperature of the brakes
Energy can only be transferred, so the kinetic energy of the car needs to be transferred into another form - in this case the heat in the brakes
9. What can affect a vehicle's braking distance?
[ ] Worn brakes
[ ] Adverse weather
[ ] Worn tyres
[x] All of the above
Braking distance can be severely reduced by any of the above which is why it is important to regularly check for brake and tyre wear. It is also important to leave a larger gap between cars in poorer weather conditions. Speed also affects the braking distance so it is also important to leave a larger gap between cars moving at high speeds
10. What is the greatest resistive force a car experiences when no braking forces are applied?
[x] Air resistance
[ ] Passenger weight
[ ] Stones
[ ] Rain
This is created as the vehicle collides with air molecules
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