Name: ________________________________
Block: _________
Graphing Motion Review
Directions for Opening the Virtual Lab
1. Go to the Sterling Webpage and Open Mr. White’s Webpage – White, Brandon – Science.
2. Select “Online/Virtual Labs” on the left hand menu.
3. Open the file “Moving Man” from Unit 2 – Graphing Position –Time Graphs and Velocity – Time Graphs.
Part 1: Position – Time Graphs
1. TRIAL 1: Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = 0 m/s, & Acceleration = 0 m/s2
2. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
3. Hit the “Reset All” button.
4. TRIAL 2: Now change the numbers: Position = 5 m, Velocity = 0 m/s, & Acceleration = 0 m/s2
5. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
b. What WAS different about trial 1 and trial 2?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. In either trial did the velocity of the man change at all during the 5 second time interval? ___________________
7. Now look at the graphs of trials 1 and 2. Select the “Charts” tab at the top of the page.
8. Close the Velocity – Time graph and Acceleration – Time graph by clicking the red minus sign in the top right
corner of each graph.
9. Redo Trial 1 and sketch the graph below.
10. Click the “Reset All” button and close the Velocity – Time graph and Acceleration – Time graph.
11. Redo Trial 2 and sketch the graph below.
Trial 2
Trial 1
10
Position (m)
Position (m)
10
5
0
-5
-10
5
0
-5
-10
0
1
2
3
Time (s)
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Time (s)
Analysis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What was true about the motion for BOTH trials? ___________________________________________________
How do the two graphs look similar? _____________________________________________________________
What is different about the two graphs? __________________________________________________________
How does the “Y-Value” of the graph relate to the motion you saw on the screen? ________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How would the Trial 2’s graph change, if the position was -5 m instead of +5 m? __________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Check your answer by resetting the graphs and typing -5 m into the position box.
Name: ________________________________
Block: _________
Part 2: Position – Time Graphs
1. Click the “Introduction” tab at the top of the page.
2. TRIAL 1: : Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = +1 m/s and the Acceleration 0 m/s2
3. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
4. Hit the “Reset All” button.
5. TRIAL 2: : Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = +2 m/s and the Acceleration 0 m/s2
6. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
7. Hit the “Reset All” button.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
b. What WAS different about trial 1 and trial 2?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. TRIAL 3: : Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = -2 m/s and the Acceleration 0 m/s2
9. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
b. What WAS different about trial 2 and trial 3?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. How did changing the velocity between trials change the motion of the man? ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Now look at the graphs of trials 1,2 and 3. Select the “Charts” tab at the top of the page.
12. Close the Acceleration – Time graph by clicking the red minus sign in the top right corner of each graph.
13. Redo Trials 1, 2 & 3 and sketch the Position - Time graphs below.
Make sure to click the “Reset All” button between each trial and close
the Acceleration – Time.
Analysis:
1. What is similar about all three graphs?
_________________________________________________________
2. What is different about all three graphs?
_________________________________________________________
3. How did changing the size of the velocity affect the graph?
_________________________________________________________
4. How does making the velocity negative affect the graph?
_________________________________________________________
5. What is similar about all the graphs in Part 1 and Part 2?
_________________________________________________________
6. We kept the acceleration at zero for all the trials in Part 1 and Part 2,
based on your answer to question 5, what shape will the graph be if it
has a constant velocity (no acceleration)?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Block: _________
Part 3: Position – Time Graphs
1. Click the “Introduction” tab at the top of the page.
2. TRIAL 1: Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = +1 m/s and the Acceleration +1 m/s2. Also click
the box to show the velocity vector.
3. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds or until the man hits the wall.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
b. How did the velocity vector change during the interval? _______________________________________
4. Hit the “Reset All” button.
5. TRIAL 2: Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = + 5m/s and the Acceleration -1 m/s2. Also click
the box to show the velocity vector.
6. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds or until the man hits the wall.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
b. How did the velocity vector change during the interval? _______________________________________
7. TRIAL 3: Use the following numbers: Position = 0 m, Velocity = - 5m/s and the Acceleration +1 m/s2. Also click
the box to show the velocity vector.
8. Hit the play button and observe the motion for 5 seconds or until the man hits the wall.
a. Describe how the man moved? ___________________________________________________________
b. How did the velocity vector change during the interval? _______________________________________
9. In which trials did the man slow down? ___________________________________________________________
10. What do you notice about the “sign” of the velocity number and acceleration number when the man was
slowing down? _______________________________________________________________________________
11. What would the motion of the man look like if his velocity and acceleration were both negative?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Check your answer by resetting the screen and typing in a velocity of -1 m/s and an acceleration of -1 m/s2.
13. Now look at the graphs of trials 1,2 and 3. Select the “Charts” tab at the top of the page.
14. Redo Trials 1, 2 & 3 and sketch the Position - Time graphs below. Click off the walls where the man is moving.
Make sure to click the “Reset All” button between each trial and remove the walls.
Analysis:
1. What is similar about all three graphs? ____________________________________________________________
2. How did changing the acceleration from positive to negative affect the graph (Trial 1 & 2)?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How did the line of the graph change when the man was slowing down? (Trial 2 & 3)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. How are the graphs in Part 3 (Accelerating) different from the graphs in both Parts 1 & 2 (Constant Velocity)?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Block: _________
Velocity vs. Time Graphs
1. Stay on the Charts tab. Click the “Reset All” button and close the Position – Time Graph.
2. Trial 1: Use the following numbers: Velocity = 0 m/s and the Acceleration 0 m/s2.
a. Sketch the Velocity – Time graph below for Trial 1.
3. Trial 2: Use the following numbers: Velocity = 2 m/s and the Acceleration 0 m/s2.
a. Sketch the Velocity – Time graph below for Trial 2.
4. Trial 3: Use the following numbers: Velocity = 0 m/s and the Acceleration +1 m/s2.
a. Sketch the Velocity – Time graph below for Trial 3.
5. Trial 2: Use the following numbers: Velocity = 0 m/s and the Acceleration -1 m/s2.
a. Sketch the Velocity – Time graph below for Trial 4.
Analysis:
1. What is similar about all four graphs? ____________________________________________________________
2. How do the graphs from Trial 1 & 2 look similar? ___________________________________________________
3. What was true about the acceleration for both Trials 1 & 2? __________________________________________
4. If we made the man accelerate in Trial 1, how would it change that graph? ______________________________
5. How does making the acceleration positive or negative affect the Velocity – Time Graph?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What MUST be true for the object to be at rest? ___________________________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Position – Time Graphs Flow Chart
Block: _________
Use the Chart Below to help you study the different shapes and meanings of Position – Time Graphs.
Is it Straight or
Curved?
Straight
Curved
Accelerating
Constant Velocity
Getting Steeper
or Flatter?
Which Direction is
the line going?
Flat
At Rest
Up
Positive Velocity
Flatter
Steeper
Slowing Down
Speeding up
Down
Negative Velocity
Curved Up (smily
Face)/Curved
Down (Frowny
Face)?
Up
Down
Positive
Acceleration
Negative
Acceleration
Use the flowchart to help you answer the following questions about the graph below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Where does the object have a constant speed? __________
When is the object at rest? __________________________
When is the object accelerating? ______________________
When is the object speeding up? ______________________
When is the object slowing down? ____________________
When does the object have a negative velocity? _________
When is the object moving with a constant positive
velocity? _________________________________________
8. When does the object have a negative acceleration?
_________________________________________________
9. When does the object have a positive acceleration?
__________________________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Velocity – Time Graphs Flow Chart
Block: _________
Horizontal or
Slanted?
Slanted
Horizontal
Accelerating
Constant
Velocity
Up/Down?
At zero/Not at
Zero?
Up
Down
Zero
Non-Zero
Positive
Acceleration
Negative
Acceleration
At Rest
Moving
Anytime the
Graph Touches
the x-Axis
Use the information from both flowcharts to answer the following questions about the graphs below.
1. Which graphs show an object remaining at rest? ____________________________________________________
2. Which graphs show objects with constant velocities? ________________________________________________
3. Which graph shows an object accelerating? ________________________________________________________
4. Which graph shows an object speeding up? ________________________________________________________
5. Which shows an object with unbalanced forces? ____________________________________________________
6. Does the object every stop in graph F? ____________________________________________________________
7. Which graphs show an object with negative acceleration? ____________________________________________
8. Which graphs show an object with a constant positive velocity? _______________________________________