#63
4.5.6.7 Second Law
Paper 2 · Higher combined
Spec reference: 4.5.6 (subtopic).
What you need to know
- Second Law
- The acceleration of an object is proportional to the resultant force acting
- on it and inversely proportional to the mass of the object
- resultant force (N) = mass (kg) × acceleration (m/s²)
- Inertial mass – how difficult it is to change an objects velocity. It is
- defined as the ratio of force over acceleration.
- 100N resistance
- (friction and air) 100N
Self-assessment (checklist)
- I can state Newton’s Second Law.
- I can recognise and use the symbol for proportionality.
- I can recall and apply the correct equation to calculate
- I can rearrange the equation linking acceleration, mass
- I can estimate the speed, accelerations and forces
- I can recognise and use the symbol that indicates an
- I can describe a method to investigate the effect of
- I can describe a method to investigate the effect of
Key steps (method)
- Identify what the question is testing and use the correct equation/definition.
- Show substitutions and units clearly.
Common mistakes
- Unit conversions, rearranging errors, or quoting a law without applying it.