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Position-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs

This document discusses position-time graphs and velocity-time graphs for objects undergoing constant acceleration. It explains that position-time graphs show an object's position over time, with straight lines indicating constant speed and curved lines indicating changing speed. Velocity-time graphs show velocity over time, with horizontal lines indicating constant velocity and sloped lines indicating constant acceleration. The direction and slope of the lines provide information about the speed and acceleration of the object.

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Krislyn Con-Ek Dumulag
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147 views

Position-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs

This document discusses position-time graphs and velocity-time graphs for objects undergoing constant acceleration. It explains that position-time graphs show an object's position over time, with straight lines indicating constant speed and curved lines indicating changing speed. Velocity-time graphs show velocity over time, with horizontal lines indicating constant velocity and sloped lines indicating constant acceleration. The direction and slope of the lines provide information about the speed and acceleration of the object.

Uploaded by

Krislyn Con-Ek Dumulag
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Equations of Constant

Acceleration
Position-Time and Velocity-Time
Graphs
Questions for Consideration

 What is a position-time graph?


 What is a velocity-time graph?
 How do features on one graph translate
into features on the other?
Distance-Time Graphs
 Show an object’s position as a function of
time.
 x-axis: time
 y-axis: distance
Distance-Time Graphs
 Imagine a ball rolling along a table, illuminated by a strobe light
every second.

0s 1s 2s 3s 4s 5s 6s 7s 8s 9 s 10 s

 You can plot the ball’s position as a function of time.


Distance-Time Graphs
10
9
8
7
Distance(cm)

6
5
4
3
2
1
time (s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Distance-Time Graphs

 What are the 10

characteristics of 8

this graph? 6

position (cm)
5

 Straight line, upward 4

slope 2

 What kind of motion 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


time (s)

created this graph?


 Constant speed
Distance-Time Graphs

 Each type of motion has a characteristic


shape on a D-T graph.
 Constant speed
 Zero speed (at rest)

 Accelerating (speeding up)

 Decelerating (slowing down)


Distance-Time Graphs

 Constant speed is represented by a


straight segment on the D-T graph.
pos. (m)

pos. (m)
time (s) time (s)

Constant speed in positive Constant speed in negative


direction. direction.
Distance-Time Graphs

 Constant speed is represented by a


straight segment on the D-T graph.
pos. (m)

time (s)

A horizontal segment means


the object is at rest.
Distance-Time Graphs

 Curved segments on the D-T graph


mean the object’s speed is changing.
pos. (m)

pos. (m)
time (s) time (s)

Speeding up in positive Speeding up in negative


direction. direction.
Distance-Time Graphs

 Curved segments on the D-T graph


mean the object’s speed is changing.
pos. (m)

pos. (m)
time (s) time (s)

Traveling in positive Traveling in negative


direction, but slowing down. direction, but slowing down.
Distance-Time Graphs

 The slope of a D-T graph is equal to the


object’s velocity in that segment.
change in y
50
slope =
change in x
position (m)

40
(30 m – 10 m)
30 slope =
(30 s – 0 s)
20

10 (20 m)
slope =
(30 s)
10 20 30 40
time (s) slope = 0.67 m/s
Distance-Time Graphs
 The following D-T graph corresponds to an object
moving back and forth along a straight path. Can you
describe its movement based on the graph?
N
position (m)

time (s)

S
Equations of Constant
Acceleration
Example8:
Example9:
Example10:
Your turn! 
Velocity-Time Graphs
 A velocity-time (V-T) graph shows an
object’s velocity as a function of time.
 A horizontal line = constant velocity.
 A straight sloped line = constant
acceleration.
 Acceleration = change in velocity over time.
 Positive slope = positive acceleration.
 Not necessarily speeding up!
 Negative slope = negative acceleration.
 Not necessarily slowing down!
Velocity-Time Graphs

 A horizontal line on the V-T graph means


constant velocity.
N

Object is moving at
velocity (m/s)

a constant velocity
time (s) North.

S
Velocity-Time Graphs

 A horizontal line on the V-T graph means


constant velocity.
N

Object is moving at
velocity (m/s)

a constant velocity
time (s) South.

S
Velocity-Time Graphs

 If an object isn’t moving, its velocity is


zero.

Object is at rest
velocity (m/s)

time (s)

S
Velocity-Time Graphs

 If the V-T line has a positive slope, the


object is undergoing acceleration in
positive direction.
 If v is positive also, object is speeding up.
 If v is negative, object is slowing down.
Velocity-Time Graphs

 V-T graph has positive slope.


N N
velocity (m/s)

velocity (m/s)
time (s) time (s)

S Positive velocity and S Negative velocity and


positive acceleration: object positive acceleration: object
is speeding up! is slowing down.
Velocity-Time Graphs

 If the V-T line has a negative slope, the


object is undergoing acceleration in the
negative direction.
 If v is positive, the object is slowing down.
 If v is negative also, the object is speeding
up.
Velocity-Time Graphs

 V-T graph has negative slope.


N N
velocity (m/s)

velocity (m/s)
time (s) time (s)

Negative velocity and


S Positive velocity and S negative acceleration:
negative acceleration:
object is speeding up! (in
object is slowing down,
negative direction)

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