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If a boat of mass 500kg is accelerating at 1m/s, the resultant force is 500N.

Forces - Forces and Motion

Explore GCSE Physics forces and motion, from resultant forces and acceleration to how mass affects motion in real situations like cars, trolleys and everyday moving objects.

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Fascinating Fact:

For a fixed force, a larger mass gives a smaller acceleration, which is why heavy vehicles are harder to speed up.

In GCSE Physics, forces and motion are linked through Newton’s laws. You learn how resultant force changes an object’s velocity, how mass affects acceleration, and how motion is described using key equations.

Key Terms

Resultant force: The single force that has the same effect as all the individual forces acting on an object combined.
Acceleration: The rate of change of velocity, showing how quickly an object speeds up, slows down or changes direction.
Mass: A measure of how much matter an object contains, which also shows how difficult it is to change its motion.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is Newton’s second law in GCSE Physics?

Newton’s second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the resultant force and inversely proportional to its mass, often written as F = m × a.

How do you calculate acceleration from force and mass?

To calculate acceleration, use a = F ÷ m, where a is acceleration in metres per second squared, F is resultant force in newtons and m is mass in kilograms.

Why does a larger mass give a smaller acceleration?

A larger mass needs more force to change its motion, so for the same applied force, a bigger mass will accelerate less than a smaller mass.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

What is the unit used to measure force?

The pascal

The kilogram

The newton

The metre

Named after Isaac Newton since he carried out the key work that lead to an understanding of forces, although Galileo had already worked out the first law many years before Newton was born

2 .

What is the acceleration of an object dependent on?

Mass

Resultant force

Neither mass nor resultant force

Both mass and resultant force

Changing either mass or resultant force will change the acceleration of an object

3 .

What does the gradient of a velocity-time graph represent?

Acceleration

Velocity

Time

Distance

The gradient of a velocity-time graph measures the change in velocity per second, in other words, exactly the definition of acceleration

4 .

What is the mass of a person who is accelerated at a rate of 2 m/s² when a resultant force of 130 N is applied?

55Kg

65Kg

75Kg

85Kg

Using the equation F = m x a, you can calculate the force required to accelerate an object, the mass of it or the acceleration of it when given two of the three values

5 .

What is the acceleration of a ball whose initial velocity is 0 m/s and final velocity is 10 m/s if the ball takes 5 seconds to get to this speed?

1 m/s²

2 m/s²

3 m/s²

2 m/s

Remember that acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and its units are m/s²

6 .

What does the gradient of a distance-time graph represent?

Speed

Distance

Time

Resistance

The gradient of a graph is calculated by dividing the y value by the x value. In this case, you are dividing metres by seconds (or kilometres by hours and so on) so the units will be metres per second (or kilometres per hour etc) which you should recognise as being the units of speed

7 .

If a boat of mass 500 kg is accelerating at 1 m/s², what is the resultant force?

250 N

500 N

750 N

1,000 N

Only unbalanced forces produce an acceleration

8 .

What is the equation to find the acceleration of an object, knowing its initial and final velocities and the time taken?

a = ^{(u - t)}⁄_v

v = ^{(a - u)}⁄_t

u = ^{(a - v)}⁄_t

a = ^{(v - u)}⁄_t

It is always the final velocity minus the initial velocity divided by time. A negative value from the calculation means there was a deceleration

9 .

What is velocity?

Speed in a given direction

Direction of an object

Speed of an object

Acceleration

Velocity is a vector quantity and has both magnitude (size) and direction. The magnitude represents how fast the object is moving and the direction represents in which direction it is going

10 .

What is the correct formula which links force, mass and acceleration?

F = m x a

m = F x a

a = F x m

C = m x a

This is the equation of Newton's second law of motion

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Describing motion

Author: Martin Moore