ScienceFreePrintable

Motion Mechanics Worksheet

A free science worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Motion Mechanics Worksheet

A rescue team is testing a small electric cart on a straight track. Use distance, time and velocity clues to work out how the cart moves. Show calculations with units. Take motion to be in the direction along the track unless stated otherwise.

Read the motion data

The cart starts at the 0 m mark. Its position is recorded during a test run.

Time (s)

Position (m)

1.From 0 to 2 seconds, the cart moves from 0 m to 4 m. Calculate its average velocity.

2.From 2 to 4 seconds, the cart stays at 4 m. What does this tell you about its motion during that interval?

It is moving at a steady speed.
It is accelerating forwards.
It is at rest.
It is moving backwards.

3.Describe the cart's motion from 4 to 6 seconds, when its position changes from 4 m to 10 m. Include its direction and average velocity.

Forces and changing motion

A force can change an object's speed or direction. Acceleration is the change in velocity divided by the time taken. Use a = (v − u) ÷ t.

4.A cyclist speeds up from 3 m/s to 11 m/s in 4 seconds on a straight path. Calculate the cyclist's acceleration.

5.The cart travels at 5 m/s for 6 seconds. How far does it travel? Show the calculation.

6.A moving trolley slows from 8 m/s to 2 m/s in 3 seconds. Calculate its acceleration. What does the sign of your answer tell you?

7.True or false? If an object moves at a constant velocity in a straight line, its acceleration is zero. Explain briefly.

8.Which statement correctly distinguishes speed from velocity?

Speed includes direction; velocity does not.
Speed is distance per time; velocity is displacement per time and includes direction.
Speed and velocity always mean exactly the same thing.
Velocity is measured in seconds; speed is measured in metres.

9.The cart moves 12 m east, then 5 m west. Find its total distance travelled and its displacement from the start, including direction.

10.A ball is released from rest and falls freely for 2 seconds. Use g = 10 m/s² and s = ut + ½at². How far does it fall?

11.In your own words, explain how a force could make a moving rugby ball change its motion. Give one specific example.