Complete IGCSE O-Level Mathematical Problems on Motion (Chapter P1)

1. Units and Basic Quantities

Q1: Convert 5 km to meters. A1: 5 km = 5 × 1000 = 5000 m
Q2: Express 3 hours in seconds. A2: 3 hours = 3 × 3600 = 10800 s
Q3: A block has dimensions 2 cm × 3 cm × 4 cm. Find its volume in cm³. A3: Volume = 2 × 3 × 4 =
24 cm³
Q4: A space is filled with 0.5 m³ of liquid. How many cm³ is this? A4: 0.5 m³ = 0.5 × 1,000,000 =
500,000 cm³
Q5: A measurement reads 5.4 cm on a vernier caliper with 0.02 mm precision. What is the smallest
measurable length? A5: 0.02 mm = 0.002 cm
2. Speed and Velocity
Q1: A car travels 200 km in 4 hours. Find the speed in km/h and m/s. A1: Speed = 50 km/h = 13.89
m/s
Q2: A train moves 600 m in 40 seconds. What is its speed? A2: Speed = 600/40 = 15 m/s
Q3: An athlete runs 100 m east and then 100 m west in 40 seconds. Calculate average speed and
average velocity. A3: Speed = 200/40 = 5 m/s; Velocity = 0/40 = 0 m/s
Q4: Convert 72 km/h to m/s. A4: 72 × 1000 / 3600 = 20 m/s
Q5: A rocket accelerates from 100 m/s to 300 m/s in 10 s. Find the average speed. A5: Average
speed = (100+300)/2 = 200 m/s
3. Acceleration
Q1: A car increases its velocity from 10 m/s to 30 m/s in 5 seconds. Calculate its acceleration. A1: a
= (30 - 10)/5 = 4 m/s²
Q2: A train decelerates from 40 m/s to 20 m/s in 10 s. What is the acceleration? A2: a = (20 - 40)/10
= -2 m/s²
Q3: A vehicle starts from rest and reaches 25 m/s in 5 s. Find acceleration and distance covered.
A3: a = 25/5 = 5 m/s²; s = ut + 0.5at² = 0 + 0.5×5×25 = 62.5 m
Q4: An object moving at 8 m/s comes to rest in 4 seconds. What is its acceleration? A4: a = (0 - 8)/4
= -2 m/s²
Q5: A motorbike accelerates uniformly at 3 m/s² from 5 m/s. What is its velocity after 6 seconds?
A5: v = u + at = 5 + 3×6 = 23 m/s
Q6: A car travels with an initial velocity of 2 m/s and accelerates at 4 m/s² for 3 s. Find the distance
covered. A6: s = ut + 0.5at² = 2×3 + 0.5×4×9 = 6 + 18 = 24 m
Q7: An object slows down from 50 m/s to 20 m/s in 6 seconds. What is the acceleration and
distance covered? A7: a = (20-50)/6 = -5 m/s²; s = (u+v)/2 × t = 35×6 = 210 m
4. Distance-Time and Speed-Time Graphs
Q1: Sketch a distance-time graph for a car moving at constant speed. What does the gradient
represent? A1: The gradient represents speed.
Q2: A car covers 100 m in 10 s, then 150 m in 5 s. Sketch the distance-time graph and calculate
average speed. A2: Total distance = 250 m, total time = 15 s; average speed = 250/15 = 16.67 m/s
Q3: Sketch a speed-time graph of a car accelerating from rest to 20 m/s in 5 s, then constant for 5
s, then decelerating to rest in 5 s. Find total distance. A3: Area under graph = 0.5×5×20 + 5×20 +
0.5×5×20 = 50 + 100 + 50 = 200 m
Q4: A speed-time graph shows a horizontal line at 10 m/s for 6 seconds. What distance is covered?
A4: Distance = speed × time = 10 × 6 = 60 m
Q5: If the speed-time graph is a straight line from 0 m/s to 15 m/s over 5 seconds, what is the
acceleration? A5: a = (15 - 0)/5 = 3 m/s²
Q6: From a distance-time graph, a section has zero gradient. What does this indicate? A6: The
object is stationary.
Q7: The gradient of a speed-time graph gives what physical quantity? A7: Acceleration.
5. Falling Objects and Free Fall
Q1: An object is dropped from a height and falls freely. How far does it fall in 2 s? (g = 9.8 m/s²) A1:
s = 0.5 × 9.8 × 2² = 19.6 m
Q2: An object falls freely for 5 seconds. What is its velocity at the end of the fall? A2: v = g × t = 9.8
× 5 = 49 m/s
Q3: Calculate the time taken to fall 45 m under gravity (g = 9.8 m/s²) A3: s = 0.5gt² ⇒ 45 = 0.5 × 9.8
× t² ⇒ t² = 9.18 ⇒ t ≈ 3.03 s
Q4: An object is thrown downward at 10 m/s. Find its velocity after 3 s. A4: v = u + gt = 10 + 9.8×3 =
39.4 m/s
Q5: A ball is thrown vertically upwards with 20 m/s. Find time to reach the highest point. A5: v = 0 at
top ⇒ t = u/g = 20/9.8 ≈ 2.04 s
6. Mass and Weight
Q1: Find the weight of a 5 kg mass. (g = 9.8 m/s²) A1: W = mg = 5 × 9.8 = 49 N
Q2: Mass = 12 kg. What is the gravitational field strength if weight = 120 N? A2: g = W/m = 120/12
= 10 N/kg
Q3: On the Moon, g = 1.6 m/s². What is the weight of a 50 kg object? A3: W = 50 × 1.6 = 80 N
Q4: An object weighs 29.4 N. What is its mass? A4: m = W/g = 29.4 / 9.8 = 3 kg
Q5: If a mass of 10 kg is taken to a planet with g = 12 m/s², what is its weight? A5: W = 10 × 12 =
120 N
7. The Newton (N) and Force
Q1: What is the force needed to accelerate a 3 kg object at 5 m/s²? A1: F = ma = 3 × 5 = 15 N
Q2: An object with mass 10 kg experiences a force of 50 N. Find its acceleration. A2: a = F/m = 50 /
10 = 5 m/s²
Q3: If a force of 20 N is applied to an object and it accelerates at 2 m/s², what is its mass? A3: m =
F/a = 20 / 2 = 10 kg
Q4: Two forces 5 N and 7 N act on an object in the same direction. What is the resultant force? A4:
Resultant = 5 + 7 = 12 N
Q5: A 60 N force acts on a 12 kg mass. What is the resulting acceleration? A5: a = F/m = 60 / 12 =
5 m/s²
Q6: If a 2 kg object experiences no acceleration, what is the net force acting on it? A6: F = ma = 2 ×
0=0N
8. Density
Q1: An object has mass 300 g and volume 100 cm³. Find its density in g/cm³. A1: ρ = m/V =
300/100 = 3 g/cm³
Q2: Convert the above density to kg/m³. A2: 3 g/cm³ = 3 × 1000 = 3000 kg/m³
Q3: A metal block has a mass of 5 kg and volume 2.5 m³. Find its density. A3: ρ = 5 / 2.5 = 2 kg/m³
Q4: If an object has a density of 800 kg/m³ and volume 0.2 m³, find its mass. A4: m = ρ × V = 800 ×
0.2 = 160 kg
Q5: Find the volume of an object with mass 2 kg and density 500 kg/m³. A5: V = m / ρ = 2 / 500 =
0.004 m³
9. Hooke’s Law
Q1: A spring extends 0.05 m under a 10 N force. What is the spring constant? A1: k = F/x = 10 /
0.05 = 200 N/m
Q2: How much force is needed to compress a spring (k = 150 N/m) by 0.02 m? A2: F = kx = 150 ×
0.02 = 3 N
Q3: If a spring constant is 100 N/m, how much will it stretch under a 5 N force? A3: x = F/k = 5 / 100
= 0.05 m
Q4: Calculate the elastic potential energy stored in a spring of k = 250 N/m stretched by 0.1 m. A4:
E = 0.5 × k × x² = 0.5 × 250 × 0.01 = 1.25 J
Q5: A spring is stretched 0.2 m by a 20 N force. Verify if Hooke’s Law is obeyed. A5: k = F/x = 20 /
0.2 = 100 N/m (linear), so yes.
10. Forces and Resultants
Q1: Two forces of 5 N and 12 N act at right angles. Find the resultant force. A1: R = √(5² + 12²) =
√169 = 13 N
Q2: A box experiences a forward force of 20 N and a backward friction of 8 N. What is the net
force? A2: Net Force = 20 - 8 = 12 N
Q3: A 3 N force acts north and a 4 N force acts east. Calculate the resultant. A3: R = √(3² + 4²) =
√25 = 5 N
Q4: If two forces of 10 N and 10 N act in opposite directions, what is the resultant? A4: Resultant =
0N
Q5: An object in equilibrium has forces 10 N right and unknown left. What is the missing force? A5:
It must be 10 N left to balance.
11. Friction
Q1: If a sliding object slows from 10 m/s to 0 in 5 s under a force of 40 N, what is its mass? A1: a =
-10/5 = -2 m/s² ⇒ m = F/a = 40/2 = 20 kg
Q2: A force of 12 N is needed to keep a body moving at constant speed. What is the frictional
force? A2: Friction = 12 N
Q3: A 4 kg object is pushed with 30 N but accelerates at 5 m/s². Find the frictional force. A3: Net
Force = ma = 4×5 = 20 N ⇒ Friction = 30 - 20 = 10 N
Q4: A 6 N force pushes an object just enough to start motion. What kind of friction is it overcoming?
A4: Static Friction.
Q5: An object moving at constant velocity is opposed by 15 N friction. What is the applied force?
A5: 15 N.
12. Newton's Laws
Q1: A 2 kg object at rest is pushed with a force of 10 N. What is the acceleration? A1: a = F/m = 10 /
2 = 5 m/s²
Q2: A rocket expels gas backward at 500 N. What force is felt forward by the rocket? A2: 500 N
(Newton’s Third Law)
Q3: An object remains at rest despite being pushed. What law explains this? A3: Newton’s First
Law.
Q4: A car of 1000 kg accelerates at 2 m/s². Find the net force. A4: F = ma = 1000 × 2 = 2000 N
Q5: A bat hits a ball with 50 N force. What is the force on the bat? A5: 50 N in opposite direction.
13. Moments and Levers
Q1: A force of 8 N acts 0.5 m from a pivot. Calculate the moment. A1: Moment = 8 × 0.5 = 4 Nm
Q2: A beam is balanced when a 10 N force is 2 m left and unknown is 1 m right. Find unknown
force. A2: 10×2 = F×1 ⇒ F = 20 N
Q3: Calculate the moment of a 15 N force 0.4 m from a pivot. A3: Moment = 15 × 0.4 = 6 Nm
Q4: A 5 N weight at 3 m gives what turning moment? A4: 5 × 3 = 15 Nm
Q5: If a lever has effort of 4 N at 2 m and load of 8 N, find load distance. A5: 4×2 = 8×x ⇒ x = 1 m
14. Equilibrium and Center of Mass
Q1: A 20 N weight acts 1.5 m from pivot on one side. What moment must balance it on the other?
A1: Moment = 20 × 1.5 = 30 Nm
Q2: If 15 N × 1 m = X × 0.75 m for balance, find X. A2: X = (15 × 1) / 0.75 = 20 N
Q3: Define the condition for rotational equilibrium. A3: Sum of clockwise moments = sum of
anticlockwise moments.
Q4: A beam is balanced by 10 N at 2 m and 20 N at unknown. Find distance. A4: 10×2 = 20×x ⇒ x
=1m
Q5: A 50 cm ruler is balanced with 100 g at 10 cm. Where to place 200 g? A5: 100×(50-10) =
200×(x-50) ⇒ x = 70 cm
15. Pressure
Q1: A force of 500 N is applied over 2 m². Find pressure. A1: P = F/A = 500/2 = 250 Pa
Q2: Find pressure if 100 N acts on 0.5 m². A2: P = 100 / 0.5 = 200 Pa
Q3: Calculate area if pressure is 400 Pa and force is 200 N. A3: A = F/P = 200 / 400 = 0.5 m²
Q4: If pressure is 1000 Pa and area is 3 m², find force. A4: F = P×A = 1000×3 = 3000 N
Q5: A 500 N object rests on a 0.25 m² surface. Calculate pressure. A5: P = 500 / 0.25 = 2000 Pa