Understand the vector nature of force, find and use components and resultants.
Use the principle that, when a particle is in equilibrium, the sum of the components in any direction is zero.
Contact force between two surfaces can be represented by two components, the normal component and the frictional component.
Use the model of a 'smooth' contact, and understand the limitations of this model.
Use the relationship F = \(\mu\)R, where F (frictional force), \(\mu\) (coefficient of friction), and R (normal force). Understand the concepts of limiting friction and limiting equilibrium. Terminology such as 'about to slip' may be used to mean 'in limiting equilibrium'.
Use Newton's third law [e.g., the force exerted by a particle on the ground is equal and opposite to the force exerted by the ground on the particle].
Kinematics of Motion in a Straight Line
Understand the concepts of distance and speed as scalar quantities, and of displacement, velocity, and acceleration as vector quantities.
Sketch and interpret displacement-time graphs and velocity-time graphs, and appreciate that:
The area under a velocity-time graph represents displacement
The gradient of a displacement-time graph represents velocity
The gradient of a velocity-time graph represents acceleration
Use differentiation and integration with respect to time to solve simple problems concerning displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
Use appropriate formulas for motion with constant acceleration in a straight line.
Momentum
Demonstrate an understanding of the vector nature of linear momentum by applying its definition to motion in one dimension.
Apply the conservation of linear momentum to solve problems involving the direct impact of two bodies, including cases where the bodies coalesce upon impact. Impulse and the coefficient of restitution are not necessary for these calculations.
Newton's Laws of Motion
Use Newton's laws of motion to analyze the linear motion of a particle with constant mass under the influence of constant forces. These forces may include friction, tension in an inextensible string, and thrust in a connecting rod. Any additional forces, such as air resistance, will be specified in the question.
Apply the relationship between mass and weight W = mg. In this component, questions primarily involve numerical calculations, and the approximate numerical value 10 ms-2 for g is typically used.
Resolve basic problems involving the motion of a particle moving vertically or on an inclined plane with constant acceleration. This includes scenarios such as the motion of a particle on a rough plane where the acceleration while moving up the plane differs from the acceleration while moving down the plane.
Resolve straightforward problems involving connected particles. Examples include particles connected by a light inextensible string passing over a smooth pulley, or a car towing a trailer using either a light rope or a light rigid towbar.
Energy, Work and Power
Understand the concept of the work done by a force, and calculate the work done by a constant force when its point of application undergoes a displacement not necessarily parallel to the force (W = Fdcosθ).
Understand the concepts of gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.
Understand and apply the relationship between the change in energy of a system and the work done by external forces. Utilize the principle of conservation of energy in appropriate cases, including scenarios where the motion may not be linear (e.g. a child on a smooth curved 'slide'), where only overall energy changes need to be considered.
Use the definition of power as the rate at which a force does work Power = \(\frac{\text{Work Done}}{\text{Time Taken}}\), and use the relationship between power, force and velocity (P = Fv) for a force acting in the direction of motion.
Solve problems involving, for example, the instantaneous acceleration of a car moving on a hill against a resistance.
