Thinking, braking and stopping distance
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The teaching part (1 min) is free to watch. A free account opens the whole lecture: 3 worked examples, 8 practice questions, 1 real past-paper question with the answer explained, the mistakes that lose marks, the full-marks tip, a one-card summary and a quick quiz.
What this lecture covers
- A child runs into the road
- Thinking distance
Read the transcript of the teaching part
Last time
Before we start: last time, in Newton's third law, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.
A child runs into the road
A child runs into the road. The driver sees her, but the car does not stop at once. First the driver takes time to react. Then the brakes take time to stop the car. Both distances together are the stopping distance.
Thinking distance
Thinking distance is the distance the car travels during the driver's reaction time, before the brakes are applied. During this time the car keeps its constant speed, so thinking distance equals speed times reaction time. A typical reaction time is about zero point seven seconds. Double the speed, and the thinking distance doubles too.
How often it comes up
How often Cambridge has asked each part, counted by ExamYard from every past paper in its question bank: Thinking, braking and stopping distance.
Chapter 1.5: Forces
- Balanced forces and F = ma 6 min
- Newton's third law 5 min
- Friction, drag and terminal velocity 5 min
- Thinking, braking and stopping distance 6 min
- Circular motion 5 min
- Springs: load–extension graphs 5 min
- Moments, balance and stability 5 min
Also for O Level Physics 5054
Which topics come up most in O Level Physics 5054 past papers, counted from every paper since 2004.