Objective: Understanding the difference between:
1) Distance and Displacement
2) A Distance/Time Graph
A Displacement/Time Graph
A Position/Time Graph
Distance (km)
12
F
11
10
9
8
7
6
D
5
E
4
3
B C
2
A
1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Time (mins)
The distance time graph describes a car journey from home.
1) Explain what you think is happening on the journey.
2) In total, how far did the car travel?
3) How many minutes was the car stationary for in the
journey?
4) During what section of the journey was the car travelling
fastest?
5) What was the car’s speed between A and B?
6) What was the car’s speed between C and D?
7) What was the average speed for the whole journey?
8) Can you tell how far away from home the car was when it
reached its destination?
Displacement (km)
12
11
F
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
D
E
3
2
A
C
1
B
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Time (mins)
Summary:
Distance tells you how far you have travelled (it
works like the odometer in a car). It is a scalar
quantity and always increases in size.
Displacement is the vector equivalent of distance, it
is how far you are from the starting point.
Displacement can be positive or negative. It is a
vector quantity as it has both a size and a direction
Have a go at the trolley graph match activty.
Sketch displacement/time and distance/time graphs for the
following situations:
1) The pendulum of a grand father clock that oscillates 5 cm to
either side and takes 1 second to swing from one side to the
other
2) The height of a cricket ball thrown vertically upwards from a
height of 1m to a height of 6m if it lands on the floor after 4
seconds
3) The height of a lift as it leaves the ground floor, takes 30
seconds to reach floor 5, waits for 1 minute and then takes 40
seconds to descend to the basement
4) The height of a bungee jumper as they fall from a bridge 50m
high.
Objective: 1) Reinforcement of the difference between
distance/time and displacement/time graphs
2) Understand how a Position/time Graph
differs from a displacement/time and
distance/time graph
On the paper given to you describe a situation or which it
would be suitable to draw a distance-time graph/displacementtime graph. Add enough detail for someone else to be able to
sketch the graphs reasonably well from your information.
I stand on the roof of the maths block (5 metres tall) and throw a
ball 4 metres vertically in the air, letting it fall to the ground.
Which of the following graphs is:
1) A distance/time graph
2) A displacement/time graph
3) A position/time graph
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
11
10
9
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
8
7
6
5
4
4
3
2
1
3
2
1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Exercise 1B questions 2 to 4 pg 9