Figure shows how the velocity of the cyclist changes during the first part of a journey along a straight and level road. During this part of the journey the force applied by the cyclist to the bicycle pedals is constant. - 6005

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Q1.

Figure shows how the velocity of the cyclist changes during the first part of a

journey along a straight and level road. During this part of the journey the

force applied by the cyclist to the bicycle pedals is constant.

Describe how and explain, in terms of the forces A and B, why the velocity of the cyclist changes:

• between the points X and Y

• and between the points Y and Z, marked on the graph in Figure 2

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

(6)

Neel Joshi

July 11, 2025

From X to Y:
At point X, the forward force (force A) is bigger than air resistance (force B), so the cyclist accelerates. That means the cyclist’s velocity increases.
As the cyclist gets closer to point Y, they go faster, and this makes the air resistance (force B) get bigger.
The forward force stays the same, but now the air resistance is increasing, so the resultant force gets smaller.
This means the cyclist is still accelerating, but not as much as before. So the velocity keeps going up, just not as quickly.

From Y to Z:
Now the air resistance keeps increasing as the cyclist gets even faster.
Eventually, the air resistance (force B) becomes equal to the forward force (force A).
When this happens, there is no resultant force anymore.
That means the acceleration becomes zero, so the cyclist stops speeding up.

Finally
The cyclist now goes at a constant speed, called terminal velocity.

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One thought on “Figure shows how the velocity of the cyclist changes during the first part of a journey along a straight and level road. During this part of the journey the force applied by the cyclist to the bicycle pedals is constant. – 6005”

From X to Y:
At point X, the forward force (force A) is bigger than air resistance (force B), so the cyclist accelerates. That means the cyclist’s velocity increases.
As the cyclist gets closer to point Y, they go faster, and this makes the air resistance (force B) get bigger.
The forward force stays the same, but now the air resistance is increasing, so the resultant force gets smaller.
This means the cyclist is still accelerating, but not as much as before. So the velocity keeps going up, just not as quickly.

From Y to Z:
Now the air resistance keeps increasing as the cyclist gets even faster.
Eventually, the air resistance (force B) becomes equal to the forward force (force A).
When this happens, there is no resultant force anymore.
That means the acceleration becomes zero, so the cyclist stops speeding up.

Finally
The cyclist now goes at a constant speed, called terminal velocity.