MYP Physics: The Physics of Motion in Sport — FAQ

Identify which motion concept applies — velocity, acceleration, force, projectile motion or energy — then state the relevant law or formula, show substituted working with units, and link your numerical answer back to the sporting context (why the javelin travels further, why the sprinter accelerates faster).

Four main forces: gravity (pulling down, constant at roughly 9.8 N/kg near Earth's surface), air resistance (opposing motion, increasing with speed), the normal/reaction force from the ground or contact surface, and applied force from muscles, a bat, or a foot. Resultant force determines acceleration via Newton's Second Law.

A projectile follows a parabolic path because it has two independent motions happening at once: constant horizontal velocity (ignoring air resistance) and vertical motion accelerating downward at 9.8 m/s² due to gravity. Combining a constant horizontal speed with an accelerating vertical drop produces the curve.

For the same applied force, a lower mass produces greater acceleration, following Newton's Second Law ($a=F/m$). This is why a lighter sprinter or a smaller rugby player can often accelerate off the line faster than a heavier one, even with comparable leg-drive force.

Expect 'calculate' (show full working, give a numerical answer with units), 'explain' (give reasons using physics vocabulary, not just describe), 'compare' (identify similarities and differences explicitly), and 'evaluate' (weigh evidence and give a judgement). Each demands a different answer structure — mixing them up is the most common lost-mark reason.

Typically Criterion A (Knowing and Understanding — applying scientific knowledge to the sporting scenario), Criterion B (Inquiring and Designing — if it's an investigation into, say, reaction time or projectile angle), and Criterion C (Processing and Evaluating — interpreting data and drawing conclusions). Check your task sheet for which strands your teacher is using.

Follow the standard MYP inquiry cycle: research question with a variable clearly stated (e.g. 'how does launch angle affect a projectile's range?'), hypothesis with scientific reasoning, method with controlled variables listed, results table, graph, and a conclusion that links back to the hypothesis and evaluates limitations.

Not conceptually — most students find it more concrete than abstract topics like electromagnetism because they can picture a sprinter or a ball. The difficulty is usually in the maths: resolving vectors into horizontal and vertical components trips up more MYP 4-5 students than the physics concept itself.

Forgetting units, or mixing them (using grams instead of kilograms in $F=ma$), which throws the whole answer off by a factor of 1000. Second most common: giving a numerical answer without linking it back to the sporting context the question asked about.

Show every step of your working, not just the final number — MYP markers award process marks even if your final answer is wrong. Use correct physics vocabulary (force, not 'push'; acceleration, not 'speeding up'), and always finish numerical answers with a sentence connecting the result to the actual sport.

Review Newton's three laws, kinematics equations (SUVAT), projectile motion, momentum and energy transfer (kinetic and gravitational potential energy) — these underpin nearly every question in this unit. Friction and air resistance come up too, usually in 'explain why the real result differs from the theoretical prediction' questions.

You don't need to know the physics yourself — ask your child to explain a concept out loud using a sport they actually play or watch; teaching it back exposes gaps faster than re-reading notes does. Watching for whether they can explain the 'why', not just recite a formula, tells you if they're ready.

Worked past-paper-style questions with full mark schemes are the single best revision tool, because they show exactly how much working scores each mark. Topical revision notes that separate forces, projectiles and energy into clear sections help more than a general textbook chapter that mixes them together.