What this topic covers
Mechanics and materials has 2 subtopics:
- Force, energy and momentum
- Materials
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A Level AQA Physics · Topic 4 of 13
Mechanics and materials – A Level AQA Physics revision notes
Choose a subtopic. Mechanics and materials covers Force, energy and momentum and Materials in A Level AQA Physics. 14 lessons in 2 subtopics.
Revise Mechanics and materials for A Level AQA Physics, including Force, energy and momentum and Materials. 14 lessons across 2 subtopics.
14
Lessons
2
Subtopics
Mechanics and materials lessons by subtopic
14 lessons, grouped by subtopic.
Force, energy and momentum
- Work Done and Energy Transfer: Explore the relationship between work, energy transfer, and force, including calculations using W=Fscosθ. Understand the significance of the area under a force-displacement graph. Practice quantitative questions involving variable forces.
- Power and Efficiency: Define power as the rate of doing work or energy transfer and relate it to force and velocity (P=ΔW/Δt = Fv). Calculate efficiency using the formula efficiency = (useful output power) / (input power) and express it as a percentage.
- Calculating Projectile Motion: Learn how to calculate projectile motion by considering horizontal and vertical components independently using equations of uniform acceleration.
- Friction, Lift, and Drag Forces: Explore the concepts of friction (qualitatively), lift, and drag forces, including the effect of air resistance increasing with speed.
- Terminal Speed and Air Resistance: Understand terminal speed and the qualitative effect of air resistance on projectile trajectories and vehicle speeds.
- Newton's Laws of Motion: An introduction to Newton's three laws of motion and their application in various scenarios.
- F=ma and Constant Mass: Exploring the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration (F=ma) when mass remains constant.
- Moments and Couples: Explore the concept of a moment of a force, how it's calculated, and understand what a couple is and how to calculate its moment.
Materials
- Density, Hooke's Law and Elasticity: Explore density calculations, Hooke's law, elastic limits, and the concept of stiffness.
- Elastic Strain Energy and Material Behaviour: Investigate elastic strain energy, breaking stress, plastic behavior, fracture, and brittle behavior in relation to force-extension graphs.
- Energy Conservation and Ethical Transport Design: Apply energy conservation principles to examples involving elastic strain energy, energy transformation, and ethical transport design.
- Defining the Young Modulus: Learn about the Young Modulus, its formula, and how it relates to stress and strain.
- Young Modulus from Stress-Strain Graphs: Understand how to determine the Young Modulus from stress-strain graphs and explore simple measurement methods.
- Practical: Determining the Young Modulus: Explore the method for determining the Young modulus through a practical experiment.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Mechanics and materials?
Mechanics and materials covers Force, energy and momentum and Materials in A Level AQA Physics. 14 lessons in 2 subtopics.
What is the formula for work done?
Work done is W = Fs cos θ, where F is the applied force in newtons, s is the displacement in metres and θ is the angle between the force and the direction of displacement. The Work Done and Energy Transfer notes cover this in full.
What is the unit of density?
The SI unit of density is kg m⁻³, because density is mass per unit volume, ρ = m/V, with mass in kilograms and volume in cubic metres. The Density, Hooke's Law and Elasticity notes cover this in full.
What is inertia?
Inertia is the property that causes objects to resist changes in their motion. The Newton's Laws of Motion notes cover this in full.
What is friction?
Friction is a contact force between two surfaces in contact, acting parallel to the surfaces and opposing their relative motion or tendency of motion. The Friction, Lift, and Drag Forces notes cover this in full.
What is terminal velocity?
Terminal speed is the constant speed reached when the drag force on a moving object equals the driving force, such as weight for a falling object, giving a resultant force of zero and therefore zero acceleration. The Terminal Speed and Air Resistance notes cover this in full.
How do you calculate density?
Density is mass per unit volume, ρ = m/V, in kg m⁻³. The Density, Hooke's Law and Elasticity notes cover this in full.
What is the equation for power?
Power is the rate of doing work, or the rate of energy transfer: P = ΔW/Δt, where ΔW is the work done in joules and Δt is the time interval in seconds. The Power and Efficiency notes cover this in full.
What is the principle of moments?
The principle of moments states that for a body in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments equals the sum of anticlockwise moments. The Moments and Couples notes cover this in full.