Position, velocity and acceleration time graphs Flashcards
What is a position time graph? What is it also known as?
A position time graph shows the motion of an object and how far an object has travelled from its starting point. The vertical axis stands for position in meters and the horizontal axis is time in seconds. A position time graph is also known as a displacement time graph.
A position time graph/displacement time graph can be both positive and negative. True/False
True
What does the gradient/slope of a position time graph tell us? What does the area tell us?
The gradient tells us the velocity of the object
(The velocity of an object at a particular point in time is also known as instantaneous velocity.)
The area tells us nothing
What is a velocity time graph?
A velocity-time graph shows the speed and direction of an object travelled over a period of time. The vertical axis is the velocity (m/s) and the horizontal axis is time in seconds.
What does the gradient of a velocity time graph show us? What about the area?
The gradient tells us the acceleration.
The area shows the displacement of the object. (THE TOTAL DISPLACEMENT OF AN OBJECT)
Positive gradient is equal to? (Positive or negative acceleration?)
Positive acceleration
Negative acceleration would mean a negative gradient and vice versa
What is an acceleration time graph?
An acceleration time graph shows the acceleration of an object over a period of time. The vertical axis would be meters per second squared (m/s^2) and the horizontal axis would be time in seconds
What does the gradient and the area of the acceleration time graph tell us?
The gradient shows the jerk of an object.
The area underneath tells us the change in acceleration
What is a distance time graph?
Shows distance travelled over a period of time. The gradient shows the speed
What is a speed time graph?
A speed time graph plots the speed of an object over a period of time
What does the gradient of a speed time graph tell you?
The acceleration of that object
Is time always in the x axis or y axis?
Time (in seconds) is always in the x - axis
Are velocity time graphs and speed time graphs the same thing? What is the difference?
Sort of. Both have gradients that tell us the acceleration of the object. However, velocity has direction and area underneath shows displacement - a vector quantity that speed doesn’t have (since speed is a scalar quantity)
The area underneath a speed-time graph shows the distance travelled while a velocity-time graph’s area shows the object’s displacement.
How can you tell if an object is moving in a SPEED TIME GRAPH? What about when it is stationary?
In a SPEED TIME GRAPH, the object is moving if the graph line is ABOVE the x-axis. Whether it is horizontal or constant, it does not matter. In a SPEED TIME GRAPH, a horizontal graph line ABOVE THE X-AXIS represents a constant speed
An object is detected as stationary in a SPEED TIME GRAPH, if the graph line is ON THE X-AXIS, BECAUSE IT WILL BE LYING ON 0 M/S THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE THING - MEANING THAT THE OBJECT HAS NOT MOVED AND IT AT A SPEED OF 0 M/S –> STATIONARY
What is the difference between a speed time graph and a velocity time graph? What are the similarities?
The gradient of both speed and velocity time graphs tell us the ACCELERATION.
HOWEVER, the area underneath a speed time graph tells us the total distance travelled, while the area of a velocity time graph, tells us the total displacement of the object.
