This exam tips covers Exam Tips for Terminal Velocity within Terminal Velocity for GCSE Physics. Revise Terminal Velocity in Extra Topics for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 12 of 13 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 12 of 13
Practice
13 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
💡 Exam Tips for Terminal Velocity
🎯 Common Question Types:
- Describe terminal velocity and the forces involved [2 marks]
- Sketch and annotate a v-t graph for a skydiver [3-4 marks]
- Explain the effect of opening a parachute [3 marks]
- State and explain factors affecting terminal velocity [2 marks each]
- Calculate acceleration from v-t graph gradient [2 marks]
📝 Key Command Words:
- Describe — state what happens without explaining why
- Explain — give the reason using forces and Newton's laws
- Sketch — draw a diagram, labelled but not to scale
- State — give the answer without any working or explanation
- Calculate — use numbers from the graph to find a value
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Saying "no forces act" at terminal velocity — forces are balanced, not absent
- Confusing terminal velocity with stopping — the object is still moving at constant speed
- Reading gradient of a distance-time graph as acceleration — it gives speed, not acceleration
- Forgetting to mention resultant force in explanation questions
- Drawing the v-t graph incorrectly — the approach to terminal velocity should be a curve (not straight), getting less steep over time