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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

1 A car is travelling on a level road at a speed of 15.0 m s–1 towards a set of traffic

lights when the lights turn red. The driver applies the brakes 0.5 s after seeing
the lights turn red and stops the car at the traffic lights. Table 1 shows how the
speed of the car changes from when the traffic lights turn red.
Table 1
Time / s 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
Speed / m s–1 15.0 15.0 12.5 10.0 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0
a Draw a graph of speed on the y-axis against time on the x-axis on the grid in
Figure 1.

Figure 1
(5 marks)
b i State and explain what feature of the graph shows that the car’s
deceleration was uniform.

(2 marks)

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 7 On the move
AQA Physics Exam-style questions

ii Use your graph to calculate the distance the car travelled after the lights
turned red to when it stopped.

distance m
(4 marks)

From AQA Physics A PHYA2 Mechanics, Materials and Waves January 2009
(Question 1)

2 The distance–time graphs for two runners, A and B, in a 100 m race are shown
in Figure 2.

Figure 2
a Explain how the graph shows that athlete B accelerates throughout the race.

(1 mark)

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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

b Estimate the maximum distance between the athletes.

(1 mark)

c Calculate the speed of athlete A during the race.

(1 mark)

d The acceleration of athlete B is uniform for the duration of the race.

i State what is meant by uniform acceleration.

(1
mark)

ii Calculate the acceleration of athlete B.

(2 marks)

From AQA Physics A PA02 Mechanics and Molecular Kinetic Theory June 2007
(Question 1)

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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

3 Figure 3 shows a rollercoaster train that is being accelerated when it is pulled

horizontally by a cable.

Figure 3
The train accelerates from rest to a speed of 58 m s–1 in 3.5 s. The mass of the
fully loaded train is 5800 kg.
a Calculate the average acceleration of the train.

acceleration m s–2
(2 marks)

b Calculate the distance the train moves while accelerating from rest to 58 m s–1.

distance m
(2 marks)

From AQA Physics A PHYA2 Mechanics, Materials and Waves June 2011
(Question 3)

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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

4 Figure 4 shows an air rifle being fired horizontally from a height of 1.40 m above
ground level.
Assume the air resistance experienced by the bullets is negligible.

Figure 4
a When the air rifle is fired, the bullet has a horizontal velocity of 415 m s–1 as it
leaves the air rifle.
Assume the ground is horizontal.
i Calculate the time taken for the bullet to hit the ground.

time s (2 marks)
ii Calculate the horizontal displacement of the bullet from the air rifle.

horizontal displacement m (1 mark)

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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

b A second bullet is fired from the same air rifle. The second bullet has a lower
initial velocity than the first bullet.
Explain why the horizontal displacement of the first bullet will be greater than
the second bullet.

(3 marks)

5 Figure 5 shows the path of a ball thrown horizontally from the top of a tower of
height 24 m which is surrounded by level ground.

Figure 5
a Using two labelled arrows, show on Figure 5 the direction of the velocity, v,
and the acceleration, a, of the ball when it is at point P. (2 marks)

b i Calculate the time taken from when the ball is thrown to when it first hits
the ground. Assume air resistance is negligible.

time s (2 marks)

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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

ii The ball hits the ground 27 m from the base of the tower. Calculate the
speed at which the ball is thrown.

speed m s–1 (2 marks)

From AQA Physics A PHYA2 Mechanics, Materials and Waves January 2009
(Question 4)

6 The motion of a long jumper during a jump is similar to that of a projectile moving
under gravity. Figure 6 shows the path of an athlete above the ground during a
long jump from half-way through the jump at position A, to position B at which
contact is made with sand on the ground. The athlete is travelling horizontally
at A.

Figure 6
a During this part of the jump, the centre of mass of the athlete falls 1.2 m.
i Calculate the time between positions A and B.

time s (3 marks)

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AQA Physics Exam-style questions

ii The athlete is moving horizontally at A with a velocity of 8.5 m s–1. Assume there is no air
resistance. Calculate the horizontal displacement of the centre of mass from A to B.

horizontal displacement m (2 marks)

b i The athlete in Figure 6 slides horizontally through the sand a distance of 0.35 m before
stopping.
Calculate the time taken for the athlete to stop. Assume the horizontal component of the
resistive force from the sand is constant.

time s (2 marks)
b ii The athlete has a mass of 75 kg. Calculate the horizontal component of the resistive
force from the sand.

horizontal component of resistive force N (3 marks)

From AQA Physics A PHYA2 Mechanics, Materials and Waves June 2014
(Question 2)

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