Mechanics exam tips

Exam tips

• Quantities and units in mechanics exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to p1 Understand and use fundamental quantities and units in the SI system, including length, time and mass; understand and use derived quantities and units including velocity, acceleration, force, weight and moment..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Quantities and units in mechanics, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Kinematics language exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to q1 Understand and use the language of kinematics, including position, displacement, distance travelled, velocity, speed and acceleration..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Kinematics language, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Kinematics graphs exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to q2 Understand, use and interpret graphs in kinematics for motion in a straight line, including displacement against time with gradient interpretation and velocity against time with gradient and area interpretation..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Kinematics graphs, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Constant acceleration exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to q3 Understand, use and derive the formulae for constant acceleration for motion in a straight line and extend to two dimensions using vectors..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Constant acceleration, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Calculus in kinematics exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to q4 Use calculus in kinematics for motion in a straight line, including v = dr/dt, a = dv/dt = d^2r/dt^2, r = integral of v dt and v = integral of a dt, and extend to two dimensions using vectors..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Calculus in kinematics, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Projectiles exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to q5 Model motion under gravity in a vertical plane using vectors, including projectiles..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Projectiles, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Force and Newton's first law exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to r1 Understand the concept of a force and understand and use Newton's first law..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Force and Newton's first law, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Newton's second law exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to r2 Understand and use Newton's second law for motion in a straight line, restricted to forces in two perpendicular directions or simple cases of forces given as two-dimensional vectors, and extend to situations where forces need to be resolved in two dimensions..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Newton's second law, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Weight and gravity exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to r3 Understand and use weight and motion in a straight line under gravity; use gravitational acceleration g and its value in SI units to varying degrees of accuracy; understand that g is not a universal constant and depends on location..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Weight and gravity, rather than giving generic revision advice.

• Newton's third law and equilibrium exam tip 1

  Write the method before the answer so the examiner can follow each step. Apply this to r4 Understand and use Newton's third law; use equilibrium of forces on a particle and motion in a straight line, restricted to forces in two perpendicular directions or simple two-dimensional vector cases; apply to smooth pulleys and connected particles; resolve forces in two dimensions; use equilibrium of a particle under coplanar forces..

  This keeps the answer actionable and aligned to Newton's third law and equilibrium, rather than giving generic revision advice.