Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Section
FRICTION AND BRAKING
20 practice questions
Practice questions
1–3 of 3 · Hard
Question 1
4 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →A car travels at 50 mph on a wet road surface and an identical car travels at the same speed but on a dry road. Both drivers apply the brakes at the same time when they see an obstacle ahead.
(a)[2 marks]Explain why the car on the wet road will have a longer stopping distance. Refer to the forces involved in your answer.
(b)[2 marks]State two factors, apart from the road surface, that could increase the braking distance for both cars.
Question 2
3 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →A driver needs to stop suddenly when a traffic light turns red. The car is moving at a higher speed than usual, and the driver is very tired.
(a)[2 marks]Describe how the driver’s tiredness and the higher speed affect the thinking and braking distances.
(b)[1 mark]Explain the effect of these factors on the total stopping distance.
Question 3
3 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →The table below gives the thinking distance and braking distance for a car at two different speeds in ideal conditions.
Speed (mph) Thinking distance (m) Braking distance (m) 30 9 14 60 18 55 (a)[2 marks]Compare how thinking distance and braking distance change when the speed doubles from 30 mph to 60 mph.
(b)[1 mark]Explain why braking distance increases much more than thinking distance as speed increases.