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GCSE Physics › P5.9 Forces and braking
Free GCSE Physics practice questions on Forces and braking. Aligned with the UK Department for Education GCSE subject content — works for any UK GCSE exam board. Sample questions below with detailed mark schemes. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
A cyclist is travelling at 8 m/s on a level road when they see a pedestrian ahead. They apply the brakes, which exert a constant friction force of 120 N on the bicycle and rider (total mass 80 kg).
A car driver notices that when they apply the brakes while travelling at high speed on a motorway, it takes a considerable distance for the car to come to a complete stop. The distance travelled during braking is an important safety consideration for all drivers.
A driver is travelling at 20 m/s on a motorway when they spot a hazard ahead. Their reaction time is 0.5 seconds. Once they apply the brakes, the car decelerates uniformly at 8 m/s². In wet conditions, the same car travelling at the same speed has a reaction time of 0.5 seconds but can only decelerate at 5 m/s² due to reduced friction between the tyres and road.