Physics — Worked Solutions (Year 10 Science)
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Worked examples for Year 10 Science physics. Each shows where the marks are awarded, the key idea, and the full solution explained by your choice of tutor — Stella, Ella or Cassie.
In short: full step-by-step worked solutions for Year 10 Science — Physics. Every question is worked through with the method and reasoning shown, so you can check how to get the answer, not just the final result.
How to use these
Try each question first, then check your working. Use the tutor tabs to read the full solution in the style that suits you: Stella is direct and challenging, Ella is warm and explains the why, and Cassie is concise and analytical.
Watch your units and always show the formula before substituting numbers.
Example 1 — Acceleration of a cyclist
Question
A cyclist starts from rest and reaches a speed of $12\ \text{m/s}$ in $6\ \text{s}$ along a straight path. Calculate the cyclist's acceleration, and state what the answer means.
Solution
Acceleration is the change in speed divided by the time taken: $a = \dfrac{v - u}{t}$.
Starting from rest means $u = 0$, with $v = 12\ \text{m/s}$ and $t = 6\ \text{s}$.
$a = \dfrac{12 - 0}{6} = 2\ \text{m/s}^2$.
That means the speed increases by $2\ \text{m/s}$ every second. Always quote the units — $\text{m/s}^2$ is what marks acceleration apart from speed.
Let's begin with what acceleration actually is — how quickly the speed is changing. We work it out with $a = \dfrac{v - u}{t}$, where $u$ is the starting speed and $v$ is the final speed.
"Starts from rest" is a clue: it tells us $u = 0\ \text{m/s}$. We're also given $v = 12\ \text{m/s}$ and $t = 6\ \text{s}$.
Substituting in: $a = \dfrac{12 - 0}{6} = 2\ \text{m/s}^2$.
So the cyclist speeds up by $2\ \text{m/s}$ for each second that passes. The units $\text{m/s}^2$ make sense because we're measuring a change in speed (m/s) per second.
Formula: $a = \dfrac{v - u}{t}$.
- $u = 0\ \text{m/s}$ (from rest)
- $v = 12\ \text{m/s}$, $t = 6\ \text{s}$
- $a = \dfrac{12 - 0}{6} = 2\ \text{m/s}^2$
Meaning: speed rises by $2\ \text{m/s}$ each second.
Where the marks go
- 1 mark: Correct formula $a = \dfrac{v - u}{t}$ with $u = 0$ identified
- 1 mark: Correct value $a = 2\ \text{m/s}^2$ with units
- 1 mark: States the meaning (speed increases by $2\ \text{m/s}$ each second)
Key idea
Acceleration is the rate of change of speed: $a = \dfrac{v - u}{t}$, measured in $\text{m/s}^2$.
Example 2 — Kinetic energy of a skateboarder
Question
A skateboarder of mass $50\ \text{kg}$ is moving at $4\ \text{m/s}$. Calculate the skateboarder's kinetic energy, then explain what happens to that energy when she comes to a stop using the brakes.
Solution
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion: $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$.
With $m = 50\ \text{kg}$ and $v = 4\ \text{m/s}$: $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}(50)(4)^2 = \dfrac{1}{2}(50)(16) = 400\ \text{J}$.
When she brakes, that $400\ \text{J}$ doesn't vanish — energy is conserved. Friction transforms it into heat (and a little sound).
Square the speed before multiplying — forgetting the square is the most common mistake here.
Kinetic energy is the energy something has because it is moving, and we find it with $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$.
Here $m = 50\ \text{kg}$ and $v = 4\ \text{m/s}$. The speed is squared, so $4^2 = 16$ first, then $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2} \times 50 \times 16 = 400\ \text{J}$.
Now, why does the speed get squared? Because doubling your speed gives four times the energy — that's why crashes at higher speeds are so much more dangerous.
When she brakes, energy can't be destroyed, only transformed. The law of conservation of energy tells us the $400\ \text{J}$ of motion becomes heat in the brakes and ground (with a small amount of sound).
Formula: $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$.
- $m = 50\ \text{kg}$, $v = 4\ \text{m/s}$
- $v^2 = 16$
- $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}(50)(16) = 400\ \text{J}$
On braking: energy conserved → kinetic energy transformed to heat (and sound) by friction.
Where the marks go
- 1 mark: Correct formula $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$
- 1 mark: Correct substitution including squaring the speed ($v^2 = 16$)
- 1 mark: Correct value $E_k = 400\ \text{J}$ with units
- 1 mark: Explains energy is transformed to heat/sound (conservation of energy)
Key idea
Kinetic energy $E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$ depends on the speed squared; energy is never destroyed, only transformed.
Frequently asked questions
Step-by-step solutions to Physics questions in Year 10 Science, with the full method shown for each — so you can follow the reasoning, not just the final answer.
Attempt each question yourself first, then compare your method — not just your answer — against the worked solution. The aim is to learn the approach so you can handle unfamiliar questions, rather than memorising answers.
Yes — they follow the NESA syllabus for Year 10 Science, using the methods and notation expected in exams and assessments.