Graphs of straight line motion
1
A
B
C
D
Which is correct about the graph?
u v
Slope =
velocity
t
v u
Slope =
t
Slope =
Slope =
t
v u
t
u v
v
u
time
t
The displacement of an object at
different times is recorded:
Displacement s / m
Time t/s
2
4.5
1
2
10
Which of the following statements about
the motion of the object is correct?
A
The object moves with a constant
velocity.
The object is accelerating.
The object is decelerating.
When an object is moving at a uniform
speed of 4 m s1 ,
4
it travels _______
m in each second.
Straight line motions
A straight road marked with numbers:
Start point
(zero point)
forward
1
2
Straight line motions
A straight road marked with numbers:
Start point
(zero point)
forward
1
2
Move forward 4 m (or +4 m)
Straight line motions
A straight road marked with numbers:
Move backward
4 m (or -4 m)
-4
Start point
(zero point)
backward
-3
-2
-1
forward
1
2
Motion graphs
displacement / m
time
Motion graphs tell you
how far body moves
(displacement)
how fast it moves
how speed changes
Displacement-time graph
A displacement-time graph or s-t
graph ()
gives the displacement of a moving
object at different times.
1
s/m
Displacement-time graph
Consider: A car is travelling at a constant
or uniform velocity of 10 m s1.
40
moves 10 m every 1 s
30
20
10
0
t/s
Slope of s-t graph
s
s1
s2
s2 s1
= velocity
slope =
t2 t1
t1
t2
The slope of the s-t graph gives the velocity
of the body.
Velocity-time graph
A velocity-time graph or v-t graph
()
gives the velocity of a moving object
at different times.
Velocity-time graph
The v-t graph for the car travelling at a
constant velocity of 10 m s1:
v/m s1
10
a horizontal line: the
velocity stays the same
all the time.
t/s
Slope of v-t graph
The slope of the v-t graph gives the
acceleration of the body.
v
v1
v2
v2 v1
slope =
t2 t1
t1
t2
= acceleration
a
v/m s1
10
Slope of v-t graph
The v-t graph is a
horizontal line
it has a zero slope
the car is travelling
at an unchanged
t/s
velocity
with no acceleration
Area under v-t graph
The area under a v-t graph is the displacement
(s) during the time interval.
v
This area
= displacement
Explanation:
A butterfly flies with a velocity v for a time t.
(i)
v
v
v t
area = v t
t
s = v t
t
(ii)
A butterfly flies with 3 different velocities.
t
v1
v3
v2
v1 t
v2 t
v3 t
s = v1 t + v2 t +v3 t
A1=v1 t
t
A2=v2 t
t
A3=v3 t
t
(iii) A butterfly flies with n different velocities.
t
v1
v2
v1 t
vn
vn t
v2 t
s = v1 t + v2 t +...+vn t
A1=v1 t
t
A2=v2 t
t
An=vn t
t
(iv) A butterfly flies with various velocities.
v
total displacement = area
under graph
(Q1-4)
A car travels...
A car travels on a road as shown.
45 m
(Q1-4)
s/m
A car travels...
s-t graph of the car
from a traffic light
40
30
45 m
20
10
1
t /s
Q1 Which of the following...
Which of the following statements is correct?
A
The car passes by the traffic
light when t = 0 s.
The car moves with a uniform
velocity in the first 3 seconds.
The car accelerates between
t = 3 s and t = 4 s.
The car stops after 5 seconds.
t
4 5
Q2 The velocity...
The velocity of the car at t = 2 s is
9 m s1
10 m s1
40
15 m
s1
30
30 m
s1
s/m
20
10
1
t /s
Q3 The car is...
The car is _____
25 m away from the traffic light
at t = 1.5 s.
s/m
40
30
20
10
1
t /s
Q4 True or false...
The car passes the tree before it stops.
(T/F)
s/m
40
30
45 m
20
10
1
t /s
Acceleration-time graph
The acceleration-time graph or a-t
graph ()
gives the acceleration of the car at
different times.
Acceleration-time graph
a/m
s2
The a-t graph for the car travelling at a
constant velocity of 10 m s1:
The graph is exactly zero all the
time...
since the car is moving at
constant velocity: zero acceleration.
Acceleration = 0 m s2
t/s
Other motions
Displacement-time graph
displacement/m
Car A moves at
uniform velocity
(slope)
moves 10 m
every 1 s
Car A
constant
slope
(20 0) m
slope
(2 0) s
uniform / constant v
time/s
= 10 m s1
= velocity
s/m
Car A
m
A
s/m
Car B
m
t/s
t/s
In 5 s, car B moves a greater displacement.
slope: graph (ii) > graph (i)
car B moves faster than A
slope of s-t graph is velocity
Other motions
s/m
Car C
v2
v2 > v1
accelerates!!
v1
t/s
Other motions
Car D
s/m
Slope (velocity) = 0
remains stationary at 50 m
t/s
s-t and v-t graphs
Car A
v / m s1
s/m
uniform
velocity!
t/s
t/s
s-t and v-t graphs
Car C
v/m s1
s/m
t/s
t/s
s-t and v-t graphs
Car D
v/m s1
s/m
slope = 0
Slope of s-t
graph = 0 = v
t/s
t/s
v-t and a-t graphs
Car E
1
v/m s
a/m s2
slope = acceleration
t/s
uniform a
2
3
t/s
v-t and a-t graphs
v/m s
a/m s
All slopes 0 !
Car B
Car A
Car C
Car C
Car A
t/s
Car B
t/s
no change
change in
no
invv
Conclusion
The slope of a s-t graph gives the velocity.
The larger the slope of a s-t graph,
the higher is the velocity of the body.
The slope of an v-t graph gives the
acceleration.
Graphs of motion with a change
in direction
Car E is travelling at a constant velocity of
10 m s-1.
It then decelerates to rest,
reverses direction,
accelerates for a short time...
t = 0 to t = 2 s
constant v of
Car E
10 m s
v/ms
10
t = 2.5 s
at rest
5
10
accelerates at
2
a = 20 m s
(decelerates)
accelerates at
2
t/s
a = 20 m s (in
opposite direction)
constant v of
10 m s1
Example 5
A displacement-time graph of a boy
walking along a straight road.
(a)
Describe his motion.
Example 5
(a) distance / m
0-100 s: uniform velocity
300-400 s: at rest
200
100-200 s: at rest
100
200-300 s: smaller
uniform velocity
100
200
300
400
Example 5
(b)(i) Calculate the total displacement
travelled.
distance / m
200
150
100
100 200 300 400
time / s
Total displacement travelled = 150 m
Example 5
(b)(ii) Calculate the average velocity during
the time intervals 0-100 s, 100-200 s,
200-300 s and 300-400 s.
distance / m
200
100
0
100 200 300 400
time / s
Example 5
Average velocity during 0-100 s
displacement of 0-100 s
time of 0-100 s
100
100
= 1 m s-1
Example 5
Average velocity
during 100-200 s
=0
slope of 100-200 s = 0
Example 5
Average velocity during
200-300 s
displacement of 200-300 s
=
time of 200-300 s
=
50
100
= 0.5 m s-1
Example 5
Average velocity during 300400 s
=0
slope of 300-400 s= 0
Example 5
(b)(iii) Calculate the
average velocity
during whole
journey (0-400 s).
Average velocity during whole journey
total displacement
total time
150
400
= 0.375 m s-1
Example 6
The figure shows the v-t graph of a car
travelling along a straight road.
velocity / m s1
15
10
5
0
time / s
20
50 60
Example 6
(a)
What is its acceleration during the time
intervals represented by OA, AB and BC?
For OA, the car accelerates uniformly.
Acceleration = slope
15 0
=
= 0.75 m s2
20 0
For AB, the car travels at a uniform
velocity of 15 m s1.
Acceleration = 0
Example 6
For BC, the car decelerates uniformly.
Acceleration = slope
0 15 = 1.5 m s2
=
60 50
Negative acceleration means deceleration.
Example 6
(b)
What are the displacements during each
time interval?
velocity / m
Displacement is the
area under the graph.
s1
15
10
5
0
time / s
20
50
60
Example 6
For OA:
1
displacement = 15 20 = 150 m
2
For AB:
displacement = 15 30 = 450 m
For BC:
1
displacement = 15 10 = 75 m
2
Example 6
(c)
What is the average velocity for the whole
journey?
Overall displacement = 150 + 450 + 75
= 675 m
Total time taken
= 60 s
Average velocity for the whole journey
overall displacement
675
=
=
total time taken
60
= 11.25 m s1
Q1 A car moving...
A car moving on a road has oil leakage. Oil
drips out drop by drop steadily and leaves
some dirt marks on the road.
v / ms1
t/s
Q1 Which of the following...
Which of the following dirt mark patterns is
v
correct?
t
A
B
C
Stop at here
and change
direction!
Q2 In a race...
In a race, 2 runners X & Y start at time t = 0.
v
X
Y
10
Q2 In a race...
Which picture is correct?
X
v
Y
10
Y
C
Q3 True or false...
The figure describes something moving in one
direction only.
a
t
(T/F)
Q4 True or false...
The figure shows that an objects deceleration
is greater than its acceleration.
t
(T/F)
The End
