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6 Dec 2025

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Understanding Motion: GCSE Physics Study Guide

user profile picture

caightlin @caightlinx

Motion is everywhere around you - from the car you ride to school to the football you kick... Show more

ow fast an object moves
distance moved
average =
Speed
time
taken
+ final
Changing from
average
scalars to
displacement
velocity time taken

Speed, Motion Graphs, and Vectors

Speed tells you how fast something moves, calculated by dividing distance by time. For average speed, you can also add the initial and final speeds together, then divide by 2 - dead simple!

Motion graphs are your best friends for visualising movement. Distance-time graphs show how far an object has travelled over time, whilst speed-time graphs reveal how the object's speed changes. The steeper the line, the faster the change!

Here's where it gets interesting scalars only have size (like distance and speed), but vectors have both size and direction (like displacement and velocity). Think of it this way - if you walk 5 metres, that's distance (scalar), but if you walk 5 metres north, that's displacement (vector).

Rate of Change (ROC) measures how quickly speed changes over time, calculated as finalspeedinitialspeedfinal speed - initial speed ÷ time taken. This gives you acceleration in m/s².

Quick Tip Remember that velocity is just speed with direction - so 30 m/s east is velocity, whilst 30 m/s is just speed!

Acceleration shows how quickly velocity changes, using the formula a = vuv-u/t, where 'v' is final velocity, 'u' is initial velocity, and 't' is time. When objects slow down, we call it deceleration (negative acceleration).

For displacement-time and velocity-time graphs, the area under the curve gives you distance travelled, whilst the gradient tells you the rate of change. These graphs help you spot when objects are moving at constant speed, accelerating, or decelerating just by looking at the line's shape.

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This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

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Xander S

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Physics

92

6 Dec 2025

1 page

Understanding Motion: GCSE Physics Study Guide

user profile picture

caightlin

@caightlinx

Motion is everywhere around you - from the car you ride to school to the football you kick across the pitch. Understanding how objects move and the maths behind it is crucial for GCSE Physics, and it's actually simpler than... Show more

ow fast an object moves
distance moved
average =
Speed
time
taken
+ final
Changing from
average
scalars to
displacement
velocity time taken

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Speed, Motion Graphs, and Vectors

Speed tells you how fast something moves, calculated by dividing distance by time. For average speed, you can also add the initial and final speeds together, then divide by 2 - dead simple!

Motion graphs are your best friends for visualising movement. Distance-time graphs show how far an object has travelled over time, whilst speed-time graphs reveal how the object's speed changes. The steeper the line, the faster the change!

Here's where it gets interesting: scalars only have size (like distance and speed), but vectors have both size and direction (like displacement and velocity). Think of it this way - if you walk 5 metres, that's distance (scalar), but if you walk 5 metres north, that's displacement (vector).

Rate of Change (ROC) measures how quickly speed changes over time, calculated as finalspeedinitialspeedfinal speed - initial speed ÷ time taken. This gives you acceleration in m/s².

Quick Tip: Remember that velocity is just speed with direction - so 30 m/s east is velocity, whilst 30 m/s is just speed!

Acceleration shows how quickly velocity changes, using the formula a = vuv-u/t, where 'v' is final velocity, 'u' is initial velocity, and 't' is time. When objects slow down, we call it deceleration (negative acceleration).

For displacement-time and velocity-time graphs, the area under the curve gives you distance travelled, whilst the gradient tells you the rate of change. These graphs help you spot when objects are moving at constant speed, accelerating, or decelerating just by looking at the line's shape.

We thought you’d never ask...

What is the Knowunity AI companion?

Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.

Where can I download the Knowunity app?

You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Is Knowunity really free of charge?

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Motion: Scalars & Vectors

Explore the fundamentals of motion in physics, focusing on scalar and vector quantities, acceleration, and kinematic equations. This summary covers key concepts such as displacement, velocity, and distance/time graphs, essential for GCSE Combined Science. Ideal for quick revision and understanding of motion mechanics.

PhysicsPhysics
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Stopping Distance & Terminal Velocity

Explore the concepts of stopping distance and terminal velocity in physics. This summary covers key factors affecting thinking and braking distances, the role of air resistance, and the stages of free fall. Ideal for students studying motion and mechanics.

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GCSE Physics Practical Investigations

Explore essential practical tasks for AQA GCSE Physics and Combined Science. This summary covers key experiments on force and acceleration, wave properties, Hooke's Law, reflection, refraction, and infrared radiation. Ideal for exam preparation, it includes setup instructions, calculations, and analysis methods to enhance understanding of core physics concepts.

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Kinematics: Speed & Acceleration

Explore key concepts in kinematics, including distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. This summary covers essential equations, graphical interpretations, and real-world applications, tailored for AQA GCSE Physics students. Understand how to calculate and differentiate between scalar and vector quantities, and learn to analyze motion through distance-time and velocity-time graphs.

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4.9/5

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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

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Thomas R

iOS user

Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.

Basil

Android user

This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

Rohan U

Android user

I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good

Thomas R

iOS user

Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.

Basil

Android user

This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

Rohan U

Android user

I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user