Name
Date
Pd
1. Answer the following questions about the
velocity/time graph to the right.
a) Describe a situation that would fit the graph
to the right. (Invent a scenario.)
velocity (m/s)
UNIT III: Worksheet 4
0
time (s)
b) What units will the slope have? How do you know?
c) What are they units of?
d) Draw a vertical line from the end of the line on your graph down to the x-axis. How would you
calculate the area of that shape?
e) What are the units of the area? How do you know?
f) Does the graph tell you where the object is? Explain.
g) What do you think the area of a velocity/time graph tells you? Explain your reasoning.
acceleration (m/s2)
2. Answer the following questions about the
acceleration/time graph above.
a) Describe a situation that would fit the graph
to the right. (Invent a scenario.)
0
time (s)
b) Draw a vertical line from the end of the line on your graph down to the x-axis. How would you
calculate the area of that shape?
c) What units would the area have? How do you know?
d) Does the graph tell you how fast the object is moving? Explain
e) What do you think the area of an acceleration/time graph tells you? Explain your reasoning.
Now we will try some problems using the principles discussed above. The problems on this worksheet
are to be solved using graphs, even if you are able to solve them algebraically. Your first step is to
sketch the graph or graphs needed to solve the problem. When you sketch the graph, mark in the key
values as shown below.
A ball rolls down a .50m ramp
in 10s
x (m)
vel (m/s)
.5
0
10
10
time (s)
5
0
10
25 time (s)
An object accelerates at 5 m/s2
for 2.5 s.
5
acc (m/s2)
A object accelerates from 5 m/s
to 10 m/s in 10s and travels at
that speed for 15 s.
0
2.5 time (s)
3. Juan Adanz pedals his bicycle from rest to a speed of 15 m/s in 3.0 s.
a) What was his average acceleration?
a (m/s2)
c) Sketch an x/t and an a/t graph for the trip.
x (m)
b) How far did he travel?
0
0
time (s)
time (s)
4. Anita Life is driving her car at 20m/s and brakes to a stop in 3.5 s. (For this problem, only consider
the time she was stopping.
a) What was her average acceleration while stopping?
0
d) What decision did you have to make to do part c?
a (m/s2)
c) Sketch an x/t and an a/t graph for the trip.
x (m)
b) How far did she travel while stopping?
time (s)
0
time (s)
5. Clara Nett starts at rest and accelerates to 20 m/s in 5.0 s after which she travels at 20m/s for 10 s.
a) How far did she travel in the 15 seconds?
a (m/s2)
c) Sketch an x/t and an a/t graph for the trip.
x (m)
b) What was her average acceleration
for the first 5.0s?
time (s)
0
time (s)
0
6. A bus speeds up at a rate of 2.0 m/s2 for 5.0 s.
a) What was the change in velocity for the bus?
b) If the bus was moving at 10 m/s before accelerating, how far did it travel while accelerating?
7. Harry Back drives his car at 15m/s for 10 s and then slows to 5.0 m/s in 4.0 s.
a) How far did he travel in the 14 seconds?
0
a (m/s2)
c) Sketch an x/t and an a/t graph for the trip.
x (m)
b) What was his average acceleration
for the last 4.0 s?
time (s)
0
time (s)
8. A bus travels at 6.0 m/s for 20 s and then speeds up at a rate of 2.0 m/s2 for 4.0 s.
a) What was the change in velocity for the bus?
b) If the bus was located at position 50 m at time 0 s, where is the bus after the 24 s?
x (m)
b) Sketch the position/time graph and an
acceleration/time graph for the elevator’s trip.
a (m/s2)
9. An elevator goes from rest to 2.0 m/s in 1.0 s after which it travels at a constant speed for 5.0 s and
then it stops in 2.0 s.
a) How far did the elevator travel in the 8.0 s?
time (s)
0
time (s)
0
c) What assumption have you made about the elevator’s trip? What alternate assumption could
you have made?
0
time (s)
0
time (s)
a (m/s2)
v (m/s)
x (m)
d) Sketch the three motion graphs for the opposite assumption
0
time (s)