Playbook
Motion in a Plane
53 q - 1.33/paper - 6% HARD, and rising (1.00 to 1.54 a paper in 2025). Three of its five pages have never produced a HARD question.
- Questions in the bank
- 53
- q/paper (2024–25 papers)
- 1.33
- Tagged HARD
- 6%
- Subtopics
- 5
Strand: Quick-Win
When you’ll see it
Equations of motion, free fall, a velocity-time graph, two bodies moving towards each other, a projectile, or uniform circular motion.
How this chapter is tested
53 q at 1.33 a paper, 6% HARD — and rising: 1.00 a paper across 2023-24, 1.54 across 2025. Kinematics, relative motion and uniform circular motion (37 questions together) have never produced a HARD question.
The kinematics page (19 q) is the three equations of motion and reading graphs: the slope of an x–t graph is velocity, the slope of v–t is acceleration, and the area under v–t is displacement. Relative motion is subtracting velocities. Circular motion is a = v²/r = ω²r.
Projectiles are only 6 questions but the most likely to be HARD: range R = u² sin 2θ / g is the same for θ and 90° − θ, and the maximum height is u² sin²θ / 2g. Read whether an angle is measured above or below the horizontal before starting.
The sub-skills
The distinct skills inside the chapter, in the order to learn them.
Equations of motion
v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², v² = u² + 2as. Distance in the nth second = u + a(n − ½).
Reading motion graphs
Slope of x–t = velocity; slope of v–t = acceleration; area under v–t = displacement.
Relative motion
Velocity of A relative to B = v_A − v_B. Two bodies meet when their relative displacement closes.
Projectiles and circular motion
R = u² sin 2θ/g, H = u² sin²θ/2g, T = 2u sin θ/g. Centripetal a = v²/r.
Traps to expect
Distractor shapes this chapter reuses. The Traps page covers the patterns that cut across chapters.
Taking an angle as above the horizontal when it is below
A ball thrown 'at 30° with the horizontal' from a tower can be thrown downward. The two cases land at very different distances, and both appear in the options.
Distance vs displacement on a graph
The area under a v–t graph gives displacement; areas below the axis subtract. For distance, add them as positives.
Learn it before you drill it
This chapter has full teaching notes — foundations, worked examples, self-checks and a per-subtopic mastery checkpoint. Read the notes once, then drill subtopic by subtopic below.
Motion in a Plane notesDrill every motion in a plane question
53 questions from the bank, scoped to 5 bundled subtopics.
Drill one subtopic at a time
The 5 subtopics this playbook covers, in catalog order.
Related playbooks
Often paired with this one — the technique, the trap or the taxonomy overlaps. Drill these next.