Velocity, Acceleration and Motion Graphs
Speed and acceleration are two different things that often get mixed up. Speed tells you how fast something's moving, whilst acceleration shows how quickly that speed is changing. The key formulas you'll need are: average speed = distance ÷ time, and acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time taken.
Distance-time and velocity-time graphs are your best friends for solving motion problems. The gradient (slope) of a distance-time graph gives you speed, whilst the area under a velocity-time graph tells you the total distance travelled. These graphs make complex motion problems much easier to visualise and solve.
Don't confuse mass and weight - they're completely different! Mass stays the same whether you're on Earth or the Moon, but weight changes because it depends on gravity. On Earth, weight = mass × 10 (since gravity = 10 m/s²).
Quick Tip: Remember that acceleration can be negative - this just means something is slowing down, not speeding up!
