Name
Period
Date
Speeding Up and Slowing Down Activity
Open Data Studio file Speeding Up and Slowing Down
1. Speeding up, moving in the positive direction
a. Observe the motion of the cart starting from rest and rolling down the incline without using the
motion detector.
b. Predict the graphs
describing the motion.
c. Record the graphs as displayed by the motion detector and circle the
correct answers to the questions.
+
Position vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
Velocity vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
t ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
position
position
+
0
t
velocity
0
0
-
+
+
0
t
acceleration
-
acceleration
t
+
+
velocity
0
t
0
t
-
-
d. Draw a motion map including position dots, velocity arrows and acceleration arrows.

x
e. Is the velocity (positive) or (negative)?
f. Is the acceleration (positive) or (negative)?
Speeding Up and Slowing Down Activity
page 2
2. Slowing down, moving in the positive direction
a. Observe the motion of the cart slowing after an initial push without using the motion detector.
Answer the following questions for the cart while coasting.
b. Predict the graphs
describing the motion.
c. Record the graphs as displayed by the motion detector and circle the
correct answers to the questions.
+
Position vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
Velocity vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
t ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
position
position
+
0
t
velocity
0
0
-
+
+
0
t
acceleration
-
acceleration
t
+
+
velocity
0
t
0
t
-
-
d. Draw a motion map including position dots, velocity arrows and acceleration arrows.

x
e. Is the velocity (positive) or (negative)?
f. Is the acceleration (positive) or (negative)?
Speeding Up and Slowing Down Activity
page 3
3. Speeding up, moving in the negative direction
a. Observe the motion of the cart starting from rest and rolling down the incline without using the
motion detector.
b. Predict the graphs
describing the motion.
c. Record the graphs as displayed by the motion detector and circle the
correct answers to the questions.
+
Position vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
Velocity vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
t ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
position
position
+
0
0
t
0
-
+
+
0
t
acceleration
-
acceleration
t
+
velocity
+
velocity
0
t
0
t
-
-
d. Draw a motion map including position dots, velocity arrows and acceleration arrows.

x
e. Is the velocity (positive) or (negative)?
f. Is the acceleration (positive) or (negative)?
Speeding Up and Slowing Down Activity
page 4
4. Slowing down, moving in the negative direction
a. Observe the motion of the cart slowing after an initial push without using the motion detector.
Answer the following questions for the cart while coasting.
b. Predict the graphs
describing the motion.
c. Record the graphs as displayed by the motion detector and circle the
correct answers to the questions.
+
Position vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
Velocity vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
t ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
position
position
+
0
t
velocity
0
0
-
+
+
0
t
acceleration
-
acceleration
t
+
+
velocity
0
t
0
t
-
-
d. Draw a motion map including position dots, velocity arrows and acceleration arrows.

x
e. Is the velocity (positive) or (negative)?
f. Is the acceleration (positive) or (negative)?
Speeding Up and Slowing Down Activity
page 5
As you hopefully noticed in the previous examples, whether the cart is speeding up or
slowing down can not be determined from only the sign of the acceleration.
There is, thankfully, a pattern that can be used to determine whether the cart is
speeding up or slowing down.
Complete the table below by circling the correct answers you saw in the previous
examples.
Velocity
Acceleration
Speeding Up or Slowing Down
#1
(+) or (-)
(+) or (-)
(speeding up) or (slowing down)
#2
(+) or (-)
(+) or (-)
(speeding up) or (slowing down)
#3
(+) or (-)
(+) or (-)
(speeding up) or (slowing down)
#4
(+) or (-)
(+) or (-)
(speeding up) or (slowing down)
Do you see the pattern?
The cart is speeding up when the directions of the acceleration
and of the motion (velocity) are
(the same + +, - -) (different + -, - +)
Circle the correct answer
The cart is slowing down when the directions of the acceleration
and of the motion (velocity) are
(the same + +, - -) (different + -, - +)
Circle the correct answer
As you do the last example, you should see this pattern continue.
Speeding Up and Slowing Down Activity
page 6
5. Up away from the motion detector and then down the ramp
a. Observe the motion of the cart after an initial push without using the motion detector. Answer the
following questions for the cart while coasting.
b. Predict the graphs
describing the motion.
position
position
+
c. Record the graphs as displayed by the motion detector and circle the
correct answers to the questions.
Up the hill
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
+
(decreasing)?
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
0
+
0
t
0
-
+
+
0
t
-
acceleration
-
acceleration
?
Velocity vs. Time
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
t
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
?
+
velocity
velocity
0
t
Down the hill
i. Is the slope (constant), (increasing) or
(decreasing)?
t
ii. Is the slope (positive) or (negative)?
iii. This slope represents the cart’s
0
t
-
d. Draw a motion map including position dots, velocity arrows and acceleration arrows.

x
e. Is the velocity (positive) or (negative)?
Does the direction of the velocity change?
f. Is the acceleration (positive) or (negative)?
Does the direction of the acceleration change?