W2.
5: Interpreting Position-Time Graphs
Name__________________________
● Record the following questions w/ group consensus in your notebook. Stop after each problem to check
w/teacher.
1. Consider the position vs. time graph below for cyclists A and B.
a. Do the cyclists start at the same point? b. At t= 7s, which cyclist is ahead? How
How do you know? If not, which is ahead? do you know?
c. Which cyclist is travelling faster at t = d. Are their velocities equal at any time?
3s? How do you know? How do you know?
e. What is happening at the intersection of lines A and B?
2. Consider the new position vs. time graph below for cyclists A and B.
a. How does the motion of the cyclist A in the b. How does the motion of cyclist B in the new
new graph compare to that of A in the previous graph compare to that of B in the previous
graph above? graph?
c. Which cyclist has the greater speed? How d. Describe what is happening at the
do you know? intersection of lines A and B.
e. Which cyclist traveled a greater distance during the first 5 seconds? How do you know?
3. Use this position/time graph to answer questions A through J. The position/time graph below represents the
motion of a cart moving back & forth along a straight line.
A. Identify which sections are moving at constant D. What is displacement between 0.0 s and 20.0 s ?
velocity. Determine the velocity of each
constant velocity section? E. What distance is traveled between 0.0 s and 20.0 s ?
Section Constant Velocity? Velocity (m/s)
Y/N
Section AB
F. What is the average velocity over the time interval
Section BC of 0.0 s- 20.0 s?
Section CD
Section DE G. What is the average speed over the time interval of
0.0 s- 20.0 s?
Section EF
B. What is the velocity at t = 5.0 sec?
H. Find the displacement between 4.0 s and 20.0 s.
C. Find the displacement between 17.0 s and 20.0 s
I. Find the speed between 4.0 s and 20.0 s.
J. Find the average velocity between 0.0 s- 4.0 s.
4. Use this position/time graph to answer questions A through J. The position/time graph below represents the
motion of a cart moving back & forth along a straight line.
Pos
6
5
4
3
2
1
00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Ti
A. What is the instantaneous velocity of the
cart at 1s?
I. What is the average speed of the cart from
0s-9s?
B. What is the average velocity of the cart from
0s-5s?
J. Over which time interval does the cart have
the smallest non-zero speed?
C. What is the average speed of the cart from
0s-5s?
K. What is the instantaneous velocity of the
cart at 4.5s?
D. Over which time interval/s is the cart
stopped?
L. At which times does the cart have 0 total
displacement compared to where it started?
E. Over which time interval does the cart have
the largest speed?
M. What is the exact position of the cart at 1s?
F. What distance has the cart traveled between
0s-9s?
N. What is the exact position of the cart at 6s?
G. What displacement has the cart traveled
between 0s-9s?
H. What is the average velocity of the cart from
0s-9s?
