Graphical Analysis of Motion
1. The velocity of an automobile changes over an 8 sec time period as shown in
Table 1 below.
a. Plot the velocity-time graph of the motion.
b. Determine the distance the car travels during the first 2 sec.
c. What distance does the car travel during the first 4 sec?
d. What distance does the car travel during the entire 8 sec?
e. Find the slope of the line between t = 0 sec. and t = 4.0 sec. What does
this slope represent?
f. Find the slope of the line between t = 5.0 sec. And t = 7.0 sec. What does
this slope indicate?
Time
(s)
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
Table 1
Velocity
(m/s)
0.0
4.0
8.0
12.0
16.0
Time
(s)
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
Velocity
(m/s)
20.0
20.0
20.0
20.0
2. Using the “Free-Fall” equation vf = vo + gt complete the following Table if an
object falls from rest: (Note: g = +10 m/s in this case)
Time (s) Final Velocity (vf - m/s)
0
1
2
3
4
5
a. Use the data in the table to plot a velocity-time graph.
b. What does the total area under the curve represent?
Position
Time
Time
Time
Figure 5
Position
Acceleration
Figure 4
Figure 3
Velocity
Figure 2
Velocity
Figure 1
Time
Time
3. Look at Figure 1.
a. What kind of motion does this graph represent?
b. What does the slope of the graph represent?
4. Look at Figure 2.
a. What kind of motion does this graph represent?
b. What does the area under the curve of the graph represent?
5. Look at Figure 3.
a. What kind of motion does this graph represent?
b. What does the slope of the graph represent?
c. What does the area under the curve of the graph represent?
6. Look at Figure 4. What does the area under the curve of this graph represent?
7. Look at Figure 5, which is a position-time graph of uniform acceleration.
a. What type of curve does this graph represent?
b. What does the slope of the line taken at a point represent?
c. How would slopes taken at higher points on the line differ from those
taken at lower points?
D
E
F
Position
C
B
G
H
A
Time
Use the intervals marked on the graph above to describe the motion of an
object.
A to B:
B to C:
C to D:
D to E:
E to F:
F to G:
G to H:
How far is the object from home at H?