Physics Quiz Study Guide: Motion, Distance, Speed, and Velocity

Vocabulary flashcards covering scalar and vector quantities, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and position vs. time graphs.

Scalar quantity

A measurement that includes amount (magnitude) only, telling how much, how fast, or how far, but not which direction.

Vector quantity

A measurement that includes both amount (magnitude) and direction, telling how much and which way.

Distance

A scalar quantity that measures the total path traveled by an object, which is always $0$ or positive.

Displacement

A vector quantity that measures an object's change in position from where it started, calculated as $\text{Displacement} = \text{Final position} - \text{Starting position}$.

Speed

A scalar quantity that measures how fast an object moves, calculated as total distance divided by time ($\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}$).

Velocity

A vector quantity that measures how fast an object moves in a given direction, calculated as displacement divided by time ($\text{Velocity} = \frac{\text{Displacement}}{\text{Time}}$).

Slope (Position vs. Time Graph)

Represents an object's velocity, calculated as the change in position divided by change in time ($\text{Slope} = \frac{x_2 - x_1}{t_2 - t_1}$).

Flat position-time line

Indicates that an object is at rest, meaning its position is not changing, slope equals $0$, and velocity equals $0$.

Straight upward line (Position vs. Time Graph)

Indicates that an object is moving at a constant positive velocity, with position increasing by equal amounts over time.

Straight downward line (Position vs. Time Graph)

Indicates that an object is moving at a constant negative velocity, with position decreasing over time as it moves backward or in the negative direction.

Steeper slope (Position vs. Time Graph)

Indicates a greater velocity magnitude, meaning the object moves faster.

Distance Formula

The rearranged formula used to solve for distance when speed and time are known: $\text{Distance} = \text{Speed} \times \text{Time}$.

Time Formula

The rearranged formula used to solve for time when distance and speed are known: $\text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}}$.