RIDDLES — MOTION AND PRESSURE
Types of Motion
Riddle 1: I am the change in position of an object over time relative to a reference point. I am described by parameters such as displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration and time. Who am I?
ANSWER: Motion
Riddle 2: I am a type of motion. I occur along a straight line. A car driving on a straight highway is an example of me. Who am I?
ANSWER: Rectilinear Motion
Riddle 3: I am a type of motion, not motion along a straight line. I occur along the path of a circle. A ball tied to a string and swung around in a circular path demonstrates me. Who am I?
ANSWER: Circular Motion
Riddle 4: I am a type of motion that repeats back and forth. A swinging pendulum demonstrates me. My repeated pattern depends on the length and weight involved. Who am I?
ANSWER: Oscillatory Motion
Riddle 5: I am a type of motion, also called spin motion. A spinning coin or bottle cap demonstrates me. Who am I?
ANSWER: Rotational Motion (Spin Motion)
Riddle 6: I am a type of motion with no predictable pattern. My name is also associated with a scientist studying the behaviour of small particles suspended in a fluid. Who am I?
ANSWER: Random (Brownian) Motion
Newton's Laws and Related Concepts
Riddle 7: I am a set of equations, not a single formula. I provide a framework for understanding and predicting how objects move. I relate displacement, initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration and time. Who am I?
ANSWER: Equations of Motion
Riddle 8: I am a specific case of motion. I describe the movement of an object influenced solely by the force of gravity. I cause objects to accelerate at approximately 9.8 ms⁻² toward the Earth. Who am I?
ANSWER: Motion Under Gravity
Riddle 9: I am one of three fundamental laws describing motion. I state that a body continues in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Who am I?
ANSWER: Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia)
Riddle 10: I am a property of matter, not a law itself. I describe the tendency of an object to resist a change in its state of motion. A pile of books staying in place when a tablecloth is yanked out from under them demonstrates me. Who am I?
ANSWER: Inertia
Riddle 11: I am one of three fundamental laws describing motion. I state that the rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the resultant force applied, acting in the direction of that force. I am written as F = ma. Who am I?
ANSWER: Newton's Second Law (Law of Acceleration)
Riddle 12: I am one of three fundamental laws describing motion. I state that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. A balloon flying across a room as air escapes from it demonstrates me. Who am I?
ANSWER: Newton's Third Law (Law of Action and Reaction)
Riddle 13: I occur when the forces acting on an object do not cancel each other out. I result in a net force that causes an object to accelerate in my direction. Who am I?
ANSWER: Unbalanced Force
Riddle 14: I am the product of an object's mass and velocity. I am represented by the symbol p. Newton's second law describes how my rate of change relates to force. Who am I?
ANSWER: Momentum
Graphs of Motion
Riddle 15: I am a type of graph used to represent motion. My slope represents the speed of an object. A straight line on me indicates constant speed. Who am I?
ANSWER: Distance-Time Graph
Riddle 16: I am a type of graph, closely related to a distance-time graph. My values can be positive or negative depending on the chosen reference point. Who am I?
ANSWER: Position-Time Graph (Displacement-Time Graph)
Riddle 17: I am a type of graph used to represent motion. My slope indicates acceleration, and the area beneath me represents displacement. When my line touches the horizontal axis, the object is at rest. Who am I?
ANSWER: Velocity-Time Graph
Pressure
Riddle 18: I am a fundamental concept in physics. I quantify the force exerted per unit area on a surface. I am mathematically expressed as force divided by area. My SI unit is the pascal. Who am I?
ANSWER: Pressure
Riddle 19: I am a specific type of pressure. I am exerted by a fluid at rest due to the force of gravity. I increase with depth in a fluid due to the increasing weight of the fluid above. Who am I?
ANSWER: Hydrostatic Pressure
Riddle 20: I am a principle of fluid mechanics named after a French scientist. I state that a pressure change at any point in a confined fluid is transmitted equally throughout the fluid. Hydraulic systems and brake systems both rely on me. Who am I?
ANSWER: Pascal's Principle
Riddle 21: I am a machine, not a principle itself. I consist of a force pump of smaller diameter connected to a piston of larger diameter. I rely on Pascal's principle to produce a large force from a small effort. Who am I?
ANSWER: Hydraulic Press
Riddle 22: I am a system found in vehicles, not a single machine. I convert a driver's foot pressure into hydraulic pressure to apply friction on the wheels. My operation relies on pressure being transmitted equally throughout a fluid. Who am I?
ANSWER: Hydraulic Brakes