07.1 An aircraft travels at a constant velocity - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2020 - Paper 1
Question 7
07.1 An aircraft travels at a constant velocity.
How is the velocity of the aircraft different to the speed of the aircraft?
07.2 Figure 11 shows one of the engine... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:07.1 An aircraft travels at a constant velocity - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2020 - Paper 1
Step 1
How is the velocity of the aircraft different to the speed of the aircraft?
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Answer
Velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction. In contrast, speed is a scalar quantity that only refers to how fast an object is moving, without any consideration of its direction.
Step 2
Explain the effect this has on the engine.
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Answer
The air pushed backwards from the engine creates a thrust that propels the aircraft forward. This action-reaction principle, as described by Newton's Third Law of Motion, results in an equal force acting in the opposite direction on the engine, which helps to move the aircraft.
Step 3
Determine the speed of the aircraft.
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Answer
From the distance-time graph, the total distance travelled by the aircraft is 12,000 meters over a period of 50 seconds. The speed can be calculated using the formula:
