Science
Motion graphs.
Definition
Motion graphs visually represent an object's movement over time. Position-time graphs show location versus time (slope = velocity), velocity-time graphs show speed versus time (slope = acceleration, area under curve = displacement), and acceleration-time graphs show how acceleration changes.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A horizontal line on a position-time graph indicating an object at rest
- 2 A straight diagonal line on a velocity-time graph showing constant acceleration
- 3 Calculating displacement by finding the area under a velocity-time curve
Key Fact
Slope of position-time = velocity; slope of velocity-time = acceleration; area under v-t curve = displacement.