Distance-Time Graphs
Unit 1. Projectile Motion
Vocabulary
Distance: indicates how far an object has travelled. It can be equal to zero or have
positive values.
Displacement: indicates the change of position of the object. It can have negative
values.
Position: describes the place of an object in a coordinate system. It can be negative,
positive or zero.
Speed: indicates how fast an object moves. It can not be negative.
Acceleration: indicates how fast an object change its velocity. It can be positive,
negative or zero.
Velocity: indicates how fast an object moves and the direction of its motion. It can
be negative, positive or zero.
What is a distance-time graph?
George walks from the city hall to the market a distance of 2
km in 30 minutes. His car is at the parking. He rests in his car
for 30 minutes. Then, he drives 5 km in 20 minutes to the
school.
What is a distance-time graph?
Rests in his car
30 minutes.
Market
2 km
30 minutes
5 km
20 minutes
City
hall
School
We can simplify George’s journey assuming that he moves at an
average constant speed and along a straight line.
Distance-time graph
From this distance-time graph you can work out the average speed.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑑
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑=
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛
2 𝑘𝑚 −0 𝑘𝑚
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 ¿ 1=
30 min −0 𝑚𝑖𝑛
2𝑘𝑚 −2 𝑘𝑚
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 ¿ 2=
60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 −30 𝑚𝑖𝑛
7 𝑘𝑚− 2 𝑘𝑚
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 ¿ 3=
80 𝑚𝑖𝑛 − 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛
Use your math abilities!
2 𝑘𝑚 −0 𝑘𝑚 2 𝑘𝑚 1 hour = 60 min
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 ¿ 1= ¿
30 min −0 𝑚𝑖𝑛 30 𝑚𝑖𝑛
=1
2 𝑘𝑚 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛
¿ ×
30 𝑚𝑖𝑛 1h =1
¿ 4 𝑘𝑚 / h
2𝑘𝑚 −2 𝑘𝑚
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 ¿ 2= ¿ 0 𝑘𝑚 / h
60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 −30 𝑚𝑖𝑛
7 𝑘𝑚− 2 𝑘𝑚 5 𝑘𝑚 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 ¿ 3= ¿ × ¿ 15 𝑘𝑚/ h
80 𝑚𝑖𝑛 − 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 20 𝑚𝑖𝑛 1h
Distance-time graph
The slope of the line is equal to the speed of the object.
𝟏𝟓 𝒌𝒎 /𝒉 The greater the gradient
(and the steeper the
line) the faster the
𝟎 𝒌𝒎/ 𝒉 object is moving.
𝟒 𝒌𝒎 /𝒉
Right or wrong?
Distance traveled = 80 - 0 Distance traveled = 0 - 60
Time taken = 40 - 0 Time taken = 30 - 0
Speed = 80/40 = 2 m/s Speed = - 60/30 = -2 m/s
Right or wrong?
Distance traveled = 40-40 Distance traveled = 70-20
m
Time taken = 100 s Time taken = 0 s
Speed = 0 m/s Speed = 50/0
Displacement-time graph
Calculate the speed of the
object in part .1
What happens to the speed in
part 2 ?
1 2
Can a displacement-time
graph have a negative slope?
Speed-Time Graphs
Unit 1. Projectile Motion
What is a speed-time graph?
From this speed-time graph you can work out the acceleration of an object.
𝑐h𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛=
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛
4−0
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 1=
2 −0
7−4
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 2=
7−2
7 −7
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 3=
9 −7
What is a speed-time graph?
The slope of the line is equal to the acceleration of the object.
𝟐
𝟎 𝒌𝒎/ 𝒉
𝟐 The greater the gradient
𝟎 , 𝟔 𝒌𝒎/ 𝒉
(and the steeper the line)
the greater the
acceleration of the object.
𝟐
𝟐 𝒌𝒎/ 𝒉
Let’s practice
2
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 1=7 𝑚/ 𝑠
2
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 2=0 𝑚 / 𝑠
2
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 3=− 3 𝑚/ 𝑠
2
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 4=0 𝑚 / 𝑠
2
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ¿ 5=− 4 𝑚 / 𝑠
Let’s practice
Constant
velocity
If the line slopes downwards
Uniform from left to right on the
deceleration
graph, this means that the
Uniform object is slowing down. This
acceleration
Constant
motion is usually referred to
velocity as a 'deceleration'.
Uniform
deceleration
Practice yourself
In this speed-time graph,
calculate the acceleration of
the object in parts 1, 2 and 3.
2
1
3
