Worksheet 3: Acceleration
The figure below shows 4 movements. Each drop, regardless of its color, drops at the same
rate: 1 drop per second. Each vertical line marks one meter. The first line is at 0 meters and
the last line is at 21 meters.
Let's put all this information in one graph of position (y axis) as a function of time (x axis).
1) What is the difference between red and green?
2) What is similar between red and green?
3) What is the difference between violet and blue?
4) What is similar between violet and blue?
5) Compare what you obtained (the shape of the curves) with what you see on
http://www.american.edu/IRVINE/bardhyl/DimKin2.htm
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Position (m)
Answers:
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
time in seconds
1) A graph with the above data will look like this:
The red and the green dots show constant velocity movement: the position rate of change is
constant with time. The purple and blue movements show accelerated movements.
2) Red is faster than green. The curve is steeper.
3) Red and green are both movements at constant speed.
4) The acceleration of blue is higher than violet.
5) Blue and violet are accelerated movements.