Motion

About this lab: Motion

Ten benches: an out-and-back trolley for distance against displacement, a journey builder for area under a speed-time graph, a draggable velocity-time line for acceleration, hammer and feather with and without air, a skydiver to terminal velocity, a graph-matching walk in front of a motion sensor, ticker tape and light gates, stopping distance, a bouncing ball with curved graphs, and a ball thrown straight up with its displacement-time, velocity-time and acceleration-time graphs drawn side by side.

IGCSE Physics 0625, topic 1.2. One tab per lesson: speed and velocity, motion graphs, acceleration, free fall, terminal velocity, then a graph-matching game, measuring speed with ticker tape and light gates, stopping distance, a bouncing ball, and a ball thrown straight up with its three motion graphs.

Motion is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 (topic 1 Motion, forces and energy, section 1.2 Motion). The course is assessed in Papers 1 and 2 (multiple choice), 3 and 4 (theory), 5 (practical test) and 6 (alternative to practical). There are 11 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.

Syllabus coverage

• 1.2 Define speed as distance travelled per unit time; recall and use the equation v = s t
• 1.2 Define velocity as speed in a given direction
• 1.2 Recall and use the equation average speed = total distance travelled total time taken
• 1.2 Sketch, plot and interpret distance–time and speed–time graphs
• 1.2 Determine, qualitatively, from given data or the shape of a distance–time graph or speed–time graph when an object is: (a) at rest (b) moving with constant speed (c) accelerating (d) decelerating
• 1.2 Calculate speed from the gradient of a straight- line section of a distance–time graph
• 1.2 Calculate the area under a speed–time graph to determine the distance travelled for motion with constant speed or constant acceleration
• 1.2 State that the acceleration of free fall g for an object near to the surface of the Earth is approximately constant and is approximately 9.8 m / s2
• Lessons on this topic: Speed, velocity, and the equation v = s ÷ t, Distance–time and speed–time graphs, Acceleration of free fall (g ≈ 9.8 m/s²), Acceleration, deceleration, and gradient calculations, Terminal velocity and motion in fluids.

Full syllabus map: IGCSE Physics 0625 topic 1.

How to use this simulation

1. 1. Speed and velocity.
2. 2. Motion graphs.
3. 3. Acceleration.
4. 4. Free fall.
5. 5. Terminal velocity.
6. 6. Match the graph.
7. 7. Ticker tape and light gates.
8. 8. Stopping distance.
9. 9. Bouncing ball and curved graphs.
10. 10. Thrown upwards.
11. 11. Exam scenarios.
12. The buttons at the end of the tab strip give the scene the whole window (Full screen, Hide controls) and, on a dark stage, a projector-friendly palette (Light scene). Many scenes also have drag handles: drag them to change the set-up directly.

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