Position-time & Velocity-time graphing Activity
The simulation below shows the position-time graph for four objects, labelled A,B,C, & D. Try using the slider to adjust time and see what happens to each point on the graph. The simulation also shows you what happens to velocity for each object as you adjust time.
What is the starting position for object A?
What is the position of object D when time = 6 s? What displacement does object D make in the first 6 seconds?
The animation below depicts the same situation, this time set up to trace each object's position as time changes. It drops a marker every 0.1 s. Press play in the bottom left hand corner.
What is the position of object D when time = 6 s? What displacement does object D make in the first 6 seconds?
The animation below depicts the same situation, this time set up to trace each object's position as time changes. It drops a marker every 0.1 s. Press play in the bottom left hand corner.
What do you notice about the trace created by object A? What does this tell you about object A's motion?
Compare the trace for object A and object D. Both are straight lines. What do you notice about the distance between markers for each trace? What does this tell you about their relative motion? Is this consistent with the measurements for each object's velocity?
What do you notice about the trace created by object B? What does this tell you about object B's motion?
Compare the trace for object B and object C. Both are curved lines. What do you notice about the distance between markers for each trace? What does this tell you about each object's motion? Is this consistent with the measurements for each object's velocity?
How is the simulation finding the velocity indicated for each object?
The animation below depicts the same situation, this time graphing each object's velocity vs time.
Compare the trace for object A and object D. Both are straight lines. What do you notice about the distance between markers for each trace? What does this tell you about their relative motion? Is this consistent with the measurements for each object's velocity?
What do you notice about the trace created by object B? What does this tell you about object B's motion?
Compare the trace for object B and object C. Both are curved lines. What do you notice about the distance between markers for each trace? What does this tell you about each object's motion? Is this consistent with the measurements for each object's velocity?
How is the simulation finding the velocity indicated for each object?
The animation below depicts the same situation, this time graphing each object's velocity vs time.
Press play to animate and look at the trace created by each object.
Look back at the position time graph animation and label each point on the velocity-time graph as A, B, C, or D.
What does the position-time graph look like for an object that has a velocity-time graph that is linear and horizontal?
What does the position-time graph look like for an object that has a velocity-time graph that is linear with a positive slope? What does tell you about the object's motion?
Sketch an acceleration-time graph for each object.
Look back at the position time graph animation and label each point on the velocity-time graph as A, B, C, or D.
What does the position-time graph look like for an object that has a velocity-time graph that is linear and horizontal?
What does the position-time graph look like for an object that has a velocity-time graph that is linear with a positive slope? What does tell you about the object's motion?
Sketch an acceleration-time graph for each object.