Name _________________________ Date_________Period _______
Moving Man Lesson
Learning Goals:
 Be able to describe movement by looking at a motion
graph
Set-up, materials:
2-3 students with access to a computer or laptop computer.
Directions:
Open up the simulation “Moving Man.”
 Either type in:
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet or Google
“phet” to get to the website.
 Click on Play with Sims, then click on Motion on
the left side. Click on Moving Man.

Leave all graphs open… If needed, you may close them by clicking on the box.
1. Play with the Moving Man by dragging him back and forth. Click on the playback
button at the bottom of the page to look at the graphs when you are done. Notice
what is happening to the graphs as he moves.
a. Explain the shape of the position-time graph
b. Explain the shape of the velocity-time graph
c. Explain the shape of the acceleration-time graph
2. Hit the reset button on the bottom right side of the screen.
a. Move the velocity slider up to 2.00 m/s, then hit the go button.
Look at the graphs, discuss with your partner what you
noticed, and why you think it happened.
GRAPH: Position
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
GRAPH: Velocity
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
GRAPH: Acceleration
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
3. Do you think the line will always look this way when the man is moving to the right
(+ velocity) at constant velocity? Test out your ideas on the simulation. Share your
thoughts with your neighbor, then write or draw what you noticed. Be specific
here…
4. Hit the reset button on the bottom right side of the screen.
a. Move the velocity slider up to -2.00 m/s, then hit the go button.
Look at the graphs, discuss with your partner what you noticed,
and why you think it happened.
GRAPH: Position
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
GRAPH: Velocity
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
GRAPH: Acceleration
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
5. Do you think the line will always look this way when the man is moving to the left
(- velocity) at constant velocity? Test out your ideas on the simulation. Share your
thoughts with your neighbor, then write or draw what you noticed. Be specific
here…
6. Hit the reset button on the bottom right side of the screen.
a. Move the acceleration slider up to 1.00 m/s2, then hit the go button. Look at
the graphs; discuss with your partner what you noticed, and why you think it
happened.
7.
GRAPH: Position
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
8.
GRAPH: Velocity
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
9.
GRAPH: Acceleration
Explanation
Why do you think it should look like this?
10. Do you think the line will always look this way when the man is moving to the right
at a constant + positive acceleration? Test out your ideas on the simulation. Share
your thoughts with your neighbor, then write or draw what you noticed. Be specific
here…
7. Reset graphs. What do you think will happen to the line if the man moves at 1.00 m/s
for 4 seconds, stops for 4 seconds, then goes -2.00 m/s for 8.00 s ? Draw your
prediction on the graphs located on the left, then test out your idea. Share what you
found out with your neighbor and write it in the space marked “explanation.”
Predicted Graph: Position
Actual Graph: Position
Predicted Graph: Velocity
Actual Graph: Velocity
Predicted Graph: Acceleration
Actual Graph: Acceleration
8.
9.
10. Explanations: How were your predictions right? How were your predictions wrong?
11. Reset graphs: What do you think will happen to the line if the man accelerates at
-1.00 m/s/s for 4 seconds, stops, changes direction, then accelerates at 2.00 m/s/s for
2.00 s ? Draw your prediction on the graphs located on the left, then test out your
idea. Share what you found out with your neighbor and write it in the space marked
“explanation.”
Predicted Graph: Position
Actual Graph: Position
Predicted Graph: Velocity
Actual Graph: Velocity
Predicted Graph: Acceleration
Actual Graph: Acceleration
12.
13.
14. Explanations: How were your predictions right? How were your predictions wrong?
15. Summary
Based on what you saw in the examples, summarize what you know in a paragraph.
When the graph looks like this: Describe how the man is moving
Use terms like: constant speed, slowing down, speeding up, accelerating, positive
direction, negative direction, not moving… in your paragraph,
EXPLAIN and EXPLORE
1. Without using Moving Man, draw what you think the line would look like for the
following story.
A man is napping under the tree. He wakes up and walks
toward the house. He stops because he is worried that he
dropped his keys. He stands still as he searches his pockets for
his keys. When he discovers he can’t find them, he runs
towards the tree. He hits the tree and gets knocked out, so he
can’t move.
(prediction) distance vs time
(actual) distance vs time
3. in the space below, write your own story for the following graph.
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