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Motion Graphs Notes
Motion is a change in position measured by distance over a given time
Speed tells us the rate at which an object moves (scalar quantity)
Velocity tells us the speed and direction of a moving object (vector quantity)
Acceleration tells us that rate at which the speed and/or direction changes.
“Speed” or “Velocity” Graphs
(aka distance-time graphs)
Plot distance on Y axis, and time on the X axis
Types of Speed/Velocity Graphs
Speed/Velocity Graph Summary
A speed graph (distance-time graph) tells us how far an
object has moved with time.
The steeper the graph, the faster the motion
A horizontal line means the object is not changing its
position – it’s at rest
A downward sloping line means the object is returning
to the start
“Acceleration” Graphs
(aka speed-time or velocity-time graphs)
Plot speed (or velocity) on Y axis, and time on the X axis
Types of Acceleration Graphs
Acceleration Graph Summary
An acceleration graph (speed-time or
velocity-time graph) shows us how the
speed of a moving object changes with time.
The steeper the graph, the greater the
acceleration
A horizontal line means the object is moving
at a constant speed
A downward sloping line means the object is
slowing down