GCSE AQA Physics 2 hours 13 questions

Describing
Exam Questions

Motion
Distance & Displacement / Speed / Measuring Speed / Calculating Speed /
Velocity
/ Vector & Scalar Quantities / Circular Motion / Distance-Time Graphs /
Instantaneous Speed / Acceleration / Velocity-Time Graphs / Area Under
VelocityTime Graphs / Calculating Uniform Acceleration / Terminal Velocity /
Representing Terminal Velocity

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 1
Easy (5 questions) /47 Scan here to return to the
course or visit
savemyexams.com
Medium (5 questions) /51

Hard (3 questions) /36

Total Marks /134

Easy Questions
1 (a) Explain the difference between distance and displacement.

(2 marks)

(b) Some students take part in a 400-metre running race.

They complete one lap of an athletics track shown in Figure 1, finishing at the
point where they started.

Identify the distance and displacements of the runners as they cross the finish
line.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 2
 (2 marks)

(c) Student A and student B raced each other on the same 400 athletics track. Their
distance-time graph is shown in Figure 2.

Explain which student won the race.

(2 marks)

(d) A third student runs the race in 110 s.

Calculate the average speed of the third student.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Speed (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 3
 (3 marks)

2 (a) Different vehicles travel with different typical speeds.

Complete the sentences.

Choose answers from the box.

Each answer can be used once, more than once or not at all.

cyclist van walker fast

runner

A _____________________________ has a typical speed of 1.5 m/s.

A _____________________________ has a typical speed of 4 m/s.

A _____________________________ has a typical speed of 18 m/s.

(3

marks) (b) Two students are trying to measure the speed of a river. Each student

stands on a bridge over the river - bridges A and B shown in Figure 1.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 4
 They both observe a stick floating on the river's surface.

Give the two measurements they must take to measure the speed of the stick
and, therefore, the speed of the river.

(2 marks)

(c) The stick is travelling at a constant speed of 0.25 m/s.

It then falls down a small waterfall and is travelling at a speed of 4.5 m/s just
before it hits the bottom of the waterfall.

The stick takes 0.50 s to fall.

Calculate the acceleration of the stick.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Acceleration (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s 2

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 5
 (3 marks)

(d) Which distance-time graph represents the motion of the stick in the

waterfall? Tick (✓) one box.

(1 mark)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 6
3 (a) Which statements are correct?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

The units of acceleration are m/s.

□
The units of speed are ms.
□
The units of acceleration are m/s2.
□
The units of speed are m/s.
□

(2 marks)

(b) Velocity (v), time (t), distance (s), acceleration (a) and mass (m) are common
quantities in physics.

Which equation for acceleration (a) is correct?

Tick (✓) one box.

a=
Δt
v □
a= Δv×t
□

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 7
 Δ s a=
□
t

Δv a=
□
t

a=
m
□
s2

Δv a=
□
t2

(1 mark)

(c) Different objects have different typical accelerations.

Draw one line from each object in motion to the typical acceleration.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 8
 (4 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 9
 (d) Figure 1 shows the velocity-time diagram of a bird accelerating from rest.

Calculate the acceleration of the bird over the first 8 seconds.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Acceleration (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s 2

(3 marks)

4 (a) A skydiver jumps out of an aeroplane. Their motion is shown on the velocity-time
graph in Figure 1.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 10
 Explain at which point A, B or C, the skydiver reaches terminal velocity.

(2 marks)

= +
(b) Explain why the equation v2 u2 2as cannot be used at points A or B of Figure 1.

(1 mark)

(c) The skydiver travels 4000 m in 50 s.

Calculate their average speed.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Average speed (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 11
 (3 marks)

(d) Higher Tier Only

What is represented by the area under a velocity-time graph?

(1 mark)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 12
5 (a) The graph in Figure 1 shows the journey of a bus.

Complete the sentences.

Choose phrases from the box.

Each answer can be used once, more than once or not at all.

stationar at a constant increasing in decreasing in

y speed speed speed

Between points O and A the bus is ........................................

Between points B and C the bus is ........................................ .

Between points E and F the bus is ........................................ .

Between points D and E the bus is ........................................ .

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 13
 (4 marks)

(b) The bus waits at a bus stop.

Explain between which two points on Figure 1 this happens.

(2 marks)

(c) Determine how long the bus waited at the bus stop.

Show clearly how you arrive at your answer.

(2 marks)

(d) Higher Tier Only

Later on, the motion of the bus over the course of one minute is shown in Figure
2.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 14
 Calculate the distance travelled by the bus over the course of this minute.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Distance (2 significant figures) = .................... m

(4 marks)

Medium Questions
1 (a) Some students take part in a 400-metre running race.

They complete one lap of an athletics track shown in Figure 1, finishing at the
point where they started.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 15
 Figure 1

One of the runners complete the lap in a time of 56 seconds.

Calculate the average speed of the runner. Give your answer to 2 significant
figures.

7.1

(3 marks)

(b) At the end of the race their Physics teacher jokes that their average velocity was
zero.

Explain whether their Physics teacher was correct.

Their velocity was zero because theeir total displacement was zero because the
came back to from where they started

(3 marks)

(c) A student starts at the starting line of the track and begins to run. They
accelerate uniformly for 200 m.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 16
 Figure 2

Sketch a line on the distance-time graph in Figure 2 to show the motion of the
student.

(2 marks)

(d) Halfway around the track, the student then comes to a rest to tie their shoelace
which has come undone. After this, they run at constant speed to the finish line.

Complete the graph drawn in part (c) to show this motion.

(3 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 17
 (a)
2 Some children launch a toy water rocket into the air. Figure 1 shows how the
displacement of the rocket changes over time.

Figure 1

Compare the rocket’s average speed as it travels upwards to its average speed
as it travels back down.

(3 marks)

(b) Describe how the velocity of the rocket could be found at any given time from
the distance-time graph in Figure 1.

(2 marks)

(c) After 3 seconds, the water from the toy water rocket runs out.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 18
In a scenario where there is no air resistance, explain the motion of the water
rocket between 3 seconds to when it touches the ground, stating any relevant
forces.

(3 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 19
 (a)
3 The graph shown in Figure 1 is a velocity time graph for a lift travelling between
two different floors in a tall building.

Figure 1

Calculate the acceleration of the lift during the first 2 seconds with a suitable unit.

(3 marks)

(b) Explain the motion of the lift between 4-6 seconds by referring to Figure 1.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 20
 (3 marks)

(c) The lift is now called to travel between two floors that are much further apart, with
no stops in between.

Assuming that the lift has the same acceleration as before, explain how the graph
in Figure 1 would change to reflect this.

(2 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 21
 (a)
4 Figure 1 shows a distance-time graph for a train.

Explain whether the train is travelling faster from A to B or from B to C.

(2 marks)

(b) Calculate the speed of the train from A to B.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Speed (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 22
 (3 marks)

(c) Higher Tier Only

The velocity-time graph of another train is shown in Figure 2.

Using Figure 2, calculate the distance travelled in the first 6 hours.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Distance (2 significant figures) = .................... km

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 23
 (a)
(4 marks)

(d) Higher Tier Only

Explain why the total displacement after 11 hours is less than your answer to part
(c).

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 24
(2 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 25
5 (a) A train travels at a constant speed of 45.0 m/s.

Calculate the distance it travels in 1.50 minutes.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

Distance (3 significant figures) = .................... m

(4 marks)

(b) Calculate how long it takes (in minutes) for the same train travelling at the same
speed to travel 10.0 km.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

Time (3 significant figures) = .................... minutes

(4 marks)

(c) Higher Tier Only

A toy train is made based on the train in parts (a) and (b). The toy train is
shown in Figure 1.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 26
 A toy sign is placed at the side of the track.

The toy train is powered by a battery and moves along a circular track.

Compare the speed of the train and the velocity of the train.

(2 marks)

(d) Higher Tier Only

The speed-time graph of the model train is shown in Figure 2.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 27
The points at which the train passes the sign are indicated on the graph.

Calculate the circumference of the circular track.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Circumference (2 significant figures) = .................... m

(3 marks)

Hard Questions
1 (a) A commercial jet needs to reach a speed of 60 m/s before it can take off. It takes
the jet 30 seconds to reach this speed.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 28
 Calculate the acceleration of the jet.

(3 marks)

(b) A larger jet needs to reach the same speed of 60 m/s to take off.

Explain how the motion of this jet will compare to that in part (a)

(2 marks)

(c) Higher Tier Only

Figure 1 shows a diagram of the jet.

Figure 1

After take-off, the jet eventually reaches a constant velocity.

Draw arrows on Figure 1 to show the forces on the plane at constant velocity. Label your
diagram.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 29
 (3 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 30
2 (a) Figure 1 shows the velocity-time graph of a skydiver. At a time of 0 seconds, the
skydiver jumps out of the plane.

Draw the missing part of the line from time = 0 seconds to point A.

(2 marks)

(b) Higher Tier Only

Figure 2 shows the skydiver.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 31
 The skydiver is now between points A and B.

Draw a labelled force diagram to show the forces acting on the skydiver.

(3 marks)

(c) Explain what is happening from B to C on Figure 1, referring to the forces involved.

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 32
 (4 marks)

(d) Higher Tier Only

Use Figure 1 to calculate the total distance travelled by the skydiver while at
constant velocity.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Total distance at constant velocity (2 significant figures) =....... m

(4 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 33
3 (a) A physics teacher jokes to her students that even objects with constant speed can
be accelerating.

Explain how this can happen.

(3 marks)

(b) Higher Tier Only

A single ion is accelerating. The speed-time graph of the ion is shown in Figure 1.

Calculate the maximum acceleration of the ion.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Maximum acceleration (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s 2

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 34
 (4 marks)

(c) Calculate the average acceleration from t = 0 s to t = 0.9 s in Figure 1.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Average acceleration (2 significant figures) = .................... m/s 2

(3 marks)

(d) Later, the ion is accelerated by an electric field at a constant rate of 50 m/s 2 over a
distance of 2.0 × 10-6 m.

The ion has a mass of 4.5 × 10-26 kg.

Calculate the work done on the ion by the electric field.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Work done (2 significant figures) = .................... Joules

(5 marks)

© 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams savem
at yexams.com 35