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LearnCambridge97092026–2027Paper 4 · MechanicsKinematics of motion in a straight line
Paper 4 · Module

Kinematics of motion in a straight line

4 subtopics≈ 135 min in total
Start the module: Constant acceleration (suvat)Open graphing calculator

  1. Constant acceleration (suvat)

    Five quantities, five formulae. Choose a positive direction, list what you know, and pick the formula that leaves out the one quantity you neither know nor need.

    ≈ 35 min

  2. Vertical motion under gravity

    Everything falls with the same acceleration, g=10 m s−2g=10\ \text{m s}^{-2} downwards. Choose up as positive, set a=−10a=-10, and suvat does the rest, including the moment the ball hangs still at the top.

    ≈ 35 min

  3. Motion graphs

    A velocity–time graph tells the whole story of a journey: its gradient is the acceleration and the area under it is the displacement. Most graph questions are really area questions in disguise.

    ≈ 30 min

  4. Variable acceleration

    When acceleration changes with time, suvat is off the table. Differentiate to go from displacement to velocity to acceleration; integrate, with a constant each time, to come back.

    ≈ 35 min