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