Interpreting graphs - Summary
•
SPEED
•
VELOCITY
•
ACCELERATION
= the rate at which something moves (distance + time ......,, meters per second [mis])
= speed and direction of a moving object (mis).
= the rate at which the speed changes (any change in speed and/or
direction of motion) (m/s2).
FINAL VELOCITY - INITIAL VELOCITY
TIME
= ACCELERATION
Distance-time graph
A distance-time graph tells us how far
an object has moved with time.
w
u
z
•
The steeper the graph ......,,
the faster the motion.
•
A horizontal line means the
object is not changing its
position - it is stationary.
•
A downward sloping line
means the object is returning to
the starl
TIME
Speed-time graph
A speed- time graph shows us how the
speed of a moving object changes with
time.
•
The steeper the graph ......,,
the greater the acceleration
•
A horizontal line means the object
is moving at a steady speed
•
A downward sloping line......,,
means the object is slowing down
(still acceleration but usually called
deceleration)
0
U1
w
a.
(I)
STEADY SPEED
UNIFORM
ACCELERATION \
tOECB.ERATlON}
UNIFORM
ACCEU:RAtfON
TIME