Physics · GCSE · Forces & Motion

Braking and energy

Braking and energyFree0:46Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard
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What you need to know

  • Stopping distance is thinking distance plus braking distance.
  • Doubling the speed doubles the thinking distance but makes the braking distance about four times longer.
  • That is because the brakes must remove all the car's kinetic energy, and kinetic energy = ½mv².
  • Tiredness, alcohol and distractions lengthen thinking distance; poor brakes, tyres, roads and weather lengthen braking distance.

In this clip

Runs 0:46, from 10:35 to 11:21 of the full video.

Also coversStopping distance
Heddy Score3/7, Below the standard
See the seven stars
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

Not enough students yet

Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
On YouTube

72.9K views · 1.21K likes · Science Shorts 369K subscribers

As reported by YouTube on 2026-11-02. Not part of the Heddy Score.
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Why we picked it

A fast revision summary whose stopping-distance section explains clearly why braking distance grows with the square of speed.

Science Shorts on YouTubechecked 2026-10-22

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