What do the WJEC forces and motion topics (2.1 to 2.4) cover?

They cover distance, speed and acceleration with motion graphs (2.1), Newton's laws relating force, mass and acceleration along with weight and terminal velocity (2.2), work, energy and power with kinetic and potential energy and Hooke's law (2.3), and momentum with the conservation of momentum in collisions and explosions (2.4). Stopping distances and vehicle safety sit alongside these.

Which equations do I need for forces and motion?

Speed equals distance over time, acceleration equals change in velocity over time, v equals u plus at, force equals mass times acceleration, weight equals mass times gravitational field strength, work equals force times distance, power equals work over time, kinetic energy equals half m v squared, gravitational potential energy equals m g h, Hooke's law force equals spring constant times extension, and momentum equals mass times velocity. All appear on the WJEC formula list.

Which practical appears in forces and motion?

Investigating how the extension of a spring depends on the force applied (force and extension for a spring), which tests Hooke's law and the limit of proportionality. Motion experiments using light gates or ticker timers to find speed and acceleration are also relevant. These can be assessed in Unit 3 and sampled in the written papers.

How is forces and motion examined?

It sits in Unit 2 (Forces, Space and Radioactivity), a 1 hour 45 minute written paper worth 80 marks and 45% of the GCSE. Expect motion graph interpretation, force and acceleration calculations, energy and power calculations, momentum problems, and stopping distance reasoning.

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WJEC GCSE Physics forces and motion overview

An overview of the forces and motion topics (2.1 to 2.4) in Unit 2 of WJEC GCSE Physics (3420), mapping distance, speed and acceleration, Newton's laws, work and energy, momentum, and stopping distances, with the key equations and how each part is examined.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.87 min readWJEC 3420 Unit 2.1-2.4Updated 2026-06-14

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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The topics 2.1 to 2.4 content
How forces and motion is examined
How to study forces and motion
For the official specification

The forces and motion topics (2.1 to 2.4) of WJEC GCSE Physics (specification 3420) are about how objects move, the forces that change their motion, the energy involved, and momentum. They are examined in Unit 2 (Forces, Space and Radioactivity). This page maps the topics and links to a focused answer page for each part.

The topics 2.1 to 2.4 content

Distance, speed and acceleration: Speed, velocity and acceleration, the equation of motion, and reading distance-time and velocity-time graphs. See Distance, speed and acceleration.
Newton's laws and forces: Balanced and unbalanced forces, force equals mass times acceleration, mass and weight, inertia and terminal velocity. See Newton's laws and forces.
Work, energy and power: Work done, power, kinetic and gravitational potential energy, the conservation of energy, and Hooke's law for springs. See Work, energy and power.
Momentum and collisions: The momentum equation and the conservation of momentum in collisions and explosions. See Momentum and collisions.
Stopping distances and safety: Thinking, braking and total stopping distance, the factors that affect them, and how safety features reduce injury. See Stopping distances and safety.

How forces and motion is examined

These topics sit in Unit 2, a written paper of 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 80 marks and 45% of the GCSE, tiered into Foundation and Higher. Expect motion graph work, force and acceleration calculations, energy and power calculations, momentum problems, and stopping distance reasoning. A formula list is provided, and Higher candidates must rearrange equations.

How to study forces and motion

Master the graphs. Distance-time gradient is speed; velocity-time gradient is acceleration and the area is distance.
Use the resultant force. Combine forces before using $F = ma$ .
Watch the squares. Kinetic energy and braking distance both depend on the speed squared.
Set up momentum carefully. Total momentum before equals total momentum after, keeping track of direction.
Learn the safety reasoning. Safety features increase stopping time to reduce force.

For the official specification

WJEC publishes the full specification, past papers and mark schemes at wjec.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and WJEC's own past papers, because question style, tiering and the formula list are board-specific.

Sources & how we know this

WJEC GCSE Physics specification (3420) from 2016 — WJEC (2016)