Physics
Motion in One Dimension
Supplemental Worksheet
Position-Time Graphs
2. Draw a position-time graph for two
cars driving to the beach, 50 km
from school. Car A leaves a store
10 km from the school closer to the
beach at noon, and drives at 40
km/h. Car B starts from school at
12:30 PM and drives at 100 km/h.
When does each get to the beach?
Position vs. Time
500
Position, m
1. Use the position-time graph to the
right to find out how far the object
travels
A. between t = 0 s and t = 40 s.
B. between t = 40 s and t = 70 s.
C. between t = 70 s and t = 100 s.
3. The figure to the right is a positiontime graph of two people running.
A. Describe the position of runner A
relative to runner B at the yintercepts.
B. Which runner is faster?
C. What occurs at point P and
beyond?
400
300
200
100
0
0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Tim e, s
Position vs. Time
Position, m
I.
300
260
220
180
140
100
60
20
-20
P
Runner A
Runner B
4. A cyclist maintains a constant
0 20 40 60 80 100
velocity of +5.0 m/s. At time t = 0,
Tim e, s
the cyclist is +250 m from point A.
A. Plot a position-time graph of the
cyclist’s location from point A at 10.0-s intervals for 60.0 s.
B. What is the cyclist’s position from point A at 60.0 s?
C. What is the displacement from the starting position at 60.0 s?
5. To the right is a position-time graph for a
short car trip. Find the average velocity
of the car for each part of the trip.
1
250
200
Position, m
6. Draw a position-time graph of a moving
elevator. Use the first floor as the
reference point and up as positive. The
elevator waits on the first floor for 30 s,
rises to the third floor in 20 s, stops for
30 s, then goes to the basement, which
it reaches in 40 s.
Position vs. Time
150
100
50
0
-50 0
10
20
30
-100
-150
Tim e, s
40
50
60
II.
Velocity-Time Graphs
Velocity vs. Tim e
8. Use the graph to the lower right to
find the acceleration of the moving
object
A. during the first 5 s of travel.
B. between the fifth and tenth second
of travel.
C. between the tenth and the fifteenth
second of travel.
D. between the twentieth and twentyfifth second of travel.
9. Use the graph to the right to find the
distance the moving object travels
between
A. t = 0 s and t = 5 s.
B. t = 5 s and t = 10 s.
C. t = 10 s and t = 15 s.
D. t = 0 s and t = 25 s.
Velocity, m/s
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
2
4
6
Tim e, s
Velocity vs. Time
Velocity, m/s
7. Use the graph to the right to
A. determine the acceleration of the
moving object.
B. calculate the distance the object
moved during the first five seconds
of motion.
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
Time, s
10. The velocity of an automobile changes over an 8.0-s time interval as shown
in the table below.
A. Plot the velocity-time graph of the motion.
B. Determine the displacement of the car during the first 2.0 s.
C. What displacement does the car have during the first 4.0 s?
D. What displacement does the car have during the entire 8.0 s?
E. Find the slope of the line between t = 0 s and t = 4.0 s. What does this
slope represent?
F. Find the slope of the line between t = 5.0 s and t = 7.0 s. What does this
slope indicate?
Time, s
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
Velocity, m/s
0.0
4.0
8.0
12.0
16.0
20.0
20.0
20.0
20.0
2
30
III. Acceleration-Time Graphs
Acceleration vs. Time
60
Acceleration, m/s/s
11. Use the acceleration-time
graph to the right to calculate
the velocity of the object at
the end of 10 s.
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
Time, s
12. Use the acceleration-time
graph below to answer the following questions.
A. Describe the type of motion between 0-3 s; 3-4 s; 4-8 s; 8-9 s; and 9-10 s.
B. What is the acceleration during the first three seconds? Between 4 and 8
s? Between 9 and 10 s?
C. How fast did the object travel during the first 3 s? How fast did the object
travel between t = 4 s and t = 8 s?
Acceleration vs. Time
Acceleration, m/s/s
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
Time, s
Answers to the Odd-Numbered Problems:
1.
3.
A. 400 m; B 0 m; C. -400 m
A. Runner A is 60 m ahead of Runner B; B. Runner B is faster; C. Runner
B is ahead of Runner A.
5. 20 m/s; 0 m/s; -10 m/s; 10 m/s
7. A. 10 m/s2; B. 125 m
9. A. 75 m; B 150 m; C. 125 m; D. 500 m
11. 500 m/s
3