Linear and Angular Motion

What Linear and Angular Motion covers

Linear and Angular Motion is examined in both papers, since Component 1 and Component 2 can each examine any of the content. It covers distance, displacement, speed and velocity, acceleration and graphs of motion, angular displacement, velocity and acceleration and moment of inertia and conservation of angular momentum.

The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Distance, displacement, speed and velocityDistance and displacement, speed and velocity, position, worked speed and 400 m lap examples, linear motion, distance–time graphs and split times.Open →
• Acceleration and graphs of motionAcceleration and its unit with a worked sprint start, deceleration, velocity–time graphs of a 100 m sprinter, gradients and areas, speed–time and velocity–time graphs, and using graphs to coach a sprinter.Open →
• Angular displacement, velocity and accelerationAngular motion and eccentric force, angular displacement, velocity and acceleration with worked discus and skater examples, radians, and the diver's take-off.Open →
• Moment of inertia and conservation of angular momentumMoment of inertia and the radius of gyration, angular momentum and its conservation, the diver and skater changing spin with a worked example, body shape and opening out before entry.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Linear and Angular Motion further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Distance vs Displacement

  Distance: the total length of the path covered. Displacement: the shortest straight-line change in position in a stated direction.

• Speed vs Velocity

  Speed: rate of covering ground, with size only. Velocity: rate of change of position in a stated direction.

• Moment of inertia vs Angular momentum

  Moment of inertia: resistance of a rotating body to a change in its spin. Angular momentum: moment of inertia multiplied by angular velocity.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is the difference between distance and displacement?

   Model answer

   Distance is the total length of the path covered. Displacement is the shortest straight-line change in position, in a stated direction.

2. 2

   What is the difference between speed and velocity?

   Model answer

   Speed is the rate of covering distance and has size only. Velocity is the rate of change of displacement and has size and direction.

3. 3

   What is position in linear motion?

   Model answer

   Position is where a body is located relative to a fixed point. Changes in position are used to calculate displacement.

4. 4

   A sprinter runs 100 m in 12.5 s. What is the average speed?

   Model answer

   The average speed is 8 m s⁻¹. The working is 100 m ÷ 12.5 s = 8 m s⁻¹.

5. 5

   A runner completes one 400 m lap and finishes at the start. What are the distance and displacement?

   Model answer

   The distance is 400 m. The displacement is zero, because the runner finishes where they started.

6. 6

   Why is the runner's average velocity zero after one full lap?

   Model answer

   Average velocity is displacement divided by time. The displacement is zero, so the average velocity is zero.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Linear and Angular Motion revision questions

What does Linear and Angular Motion cover in Eduqas A-Level Physical Education?

4 subtopics: distance, displacement, speed and velocity, acceleration and graphs of motion, angular displacement, velocity and acceleration and moment of inertia and conservation of angular momentum. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Linear and Angular Motion organised?

By the Eduqas A550QS specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.