Photo AI
Four velocity–time graphs are shown for a moving ball - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 9 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 9
Four velocity–time graphs are shown for a moving ball. A B C D Which graph shows the ball being dropped from a height? Ignore the effects of air resistance. Yo... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Four velocity–time graphs are shown for a moving ball - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 9 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which graph shows the ball being dropped from a height?
Answer
To determine which graph depicts a ball being dropped from a height, we need to analyze the nature of the motion involved:
-
Understanding Free Fall: When an object is dropped from a height, it accelerates downwards due to gravity and its velocity increases over time. This acceleration is uniform, typically denoted as approximately on Earth.
-
Graph Analysis: Among the provided graphs:
- Graph A: Shows a constant increase in velocity, which implies constant acceleration—a scenario not applicable to free fall as it suggests other forces or motion.
- Graph B: Depicts an increasing velocity too, but it's linear, similar to constant acceleration, therefore does not accurately represent free fall either.
- Graph C: Displays a curve that suggests increasing velocity but does not indicate uniform acceleration. This does not represent free fall motion since the acceleration isn't constant.
- Graph D: Represents a curve indicating that while the velocity increases, it accelerates towards a maximum, which reflects the effect of gravity without any indication of an opposing force.
-
Conclusion: Therefore, the graph that accurately represents a ball being dropped from a height, accounting for the consistent acceleration due to gravity while ignoring air resistance, is Graph D.