Distance Time Graphs Flashcards
What does a distance/time graph tell you?
How far something has travelled
Distance/time graphs provide a visual representation of an object’s motion over time.
What does the gradient (slope) of a distance/time graph represent?
The speed of the object
The steeper the gradient, the faster the object is moving.
What do flat sections on a distance/time graph indicate?
The object is stopped
Flat sections show that there is no movement occurring.
What does a steeper graph indicate?
The object is going faster
A steeper gradient indicates an increase in speed.
What do curves on a distance/time graph represent?
Acceleration
Curves show that the speed of the object is changing.
What does a curve getting steeper indicate?
The object is speeding up
This means the gradient is increasing.
What does a levelling off curve indicate?
The object is slowing down
This means the gradient is decreasing.
How can you find the speed at any time on a distance/time graph?
By calculating the gradient of the line or tangent
The method differs for straight lines and curves.
What is the formula for speed on a straight line graph?
Speed = change in vertical / change in horizontal
This formula calculates the gradient of the line.
How do you find the speed at a certain time on a curved graph?
Draw a tangent to the curve and find its gradient
The tangent represents the instantaneous speed at that point.
How do you calculate the average speed of an object with non-uniform motion?
Total distance travelled ÷ time taken
This provides the average speed over the entire distance.
What is a tangent in the context of a distance/time graph?
A line that is parallel to the curve at that point
It represents the instantaneous speed of the object.
What was the speed of the bike 25 seconds into the journey?
8 m/s
This was calculated by determining the gradient of the tangent at that point.
What was the average speed of the cyclist from 0 to 30 seconds?
5 m/s
This was calculated using the formula: average speed = distance ÷ time.
Fill in the blank: A distance/time graph for an object that accelerates and then comes to a stop would show _______.
a curve that levels off
This indicates the change in motion from acceleration to a stop.
True or False: A flat section on a distance/time graph indicates that the object is moving at a constant speed.
False
A flat section means the object is not moving.
