AQA GCSE Physics
AQA GCSE Physics 4.5.6.1.3 Velocity Exam Questions
Free AQA GCSE Physics exam questions for 4.5.6.1.3 Velocity, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers velocity as speed in a given direction, vector nature of velocity and circular motion at constant speed with changing velocity.
4.5.6.1.3 Velocity exam questions
1 question pack of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About AQA GCSE Physics 4.5.6.1.3 Velocity
This short AQA GCSE Physics section defines velocity as the speed of an object in a given direction, which makes it a vector. Higher tier only content asks you to explain qualitatively, with examples, that motion in a circle involves constant speed but changing velocity. It is examined on Paper 2 and is needed for acceleration, momentum and the orbits of satellites in space physics. Examiners test the definition and the circular motion explanation, often using a car on a roundabout or a satellite.
What you need to know
- Velocity The velocity of an object is its speed in a given direction. Velocity is a vector quantity.
- Comparing speed and velocity Two cars moving at 20 m/s in opposite directions have the same speed but different velocities. A change in direction is a change in velocity even if the speed is the same.
- Signs In one dimension, a negative velocity means motion in the opposite direction to the one chosen as positive.
- Circular motion (Higher tier only) An object moving in a circle at constant speed has a constantly changing direction, so its velocity is changing. A changing velocity means it is accelerating.
- Circular motion examples (Higher tier only) Examples include a car going round a roundabout, a ball on a string swung in a circle, and a satellite in a circular orbit around the Earth.
Common mistakes in 4.5.6.1.3 Velocity
- Saying an object in circular motion at constant speed is not accelerating. Its velocity changes because its direction changes, so it is accelerating.
- Using speed and velocity interchangeably in definitions. Velocity must include a direction.
- Giving a velocity without a direction or sign.
- Saying velocity is constant on a circular path because the speed is constant.
Try three 4.5.6.1.3 Velocity exam-style questions
1. Define velocity. (1 mark)
Show the mark scheme answer
Speed in a given direction.
2. Two trains travel at 30 m/s, one north and one south. Explain whether they have the same velocity. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
No; they have the same speed but move in different directions, and velocity includes direction.
3. Higher tier: A car travels around a roundabout at a constant speed. Explain why the car is accelerating. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
The car's direction is constantly changing; so its velocity is changing (velocity is a vector); acceleration is a change in velocity, so the car is accelerating.
4.5.6.1.3 Velocity FAQs
What does AQA GCSE Physics 4.5.6.1.3 Velocity cover?
It covers velocity as speed in a given direction and, for Higher tier, why circular motion at constant speed involves a changing velocity.
Which part of the velocity section is Higher tier only?
Explaining that motion in a circle involves constant speed but changing velocity is Higher tier only.
How does velocity link to space physics?
Satellites and planets in circular orbits have a constant speed but a changing velocity, an idea used in 4.8.1 orbital motion.
