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Motion and Speed GraphsMrs. Gergel and Ms. Khericha

+Motion Graphs

Describing motion of an object is occasionally hard to to do with words

Sometimes graphs help make motion easier to picture, and therefore understand.

Here are some words we need to remember Motion is a change in position measured by distance and

time Speed tells us the rate at which an object moves Velocity tells the speed and the direction of a moving

object Acceleration tells us the rate speed or direction changes

+Distance-Time Graphs

Time is always plotted on the x-axis

The further to the right on the axis the longer time from the start

Distance is plotted on the y-axis

The higher up the graph the further from the start time

Dis

tance

+Distance-Time Graph

If an object is not moving, a horizontal line is shown on a distance-time graph

Time is increasing but the distance does not change It is not moving, so we say an object is at rest.

time

dis

tan

ce

+Distance Time Graph

If an object is moving at a constant speed, it means it has the same increase in distance in a given time

Time is increasing to the right and distance is increasing constantly with time. The object moves at a constant speed

time

dis

tan

ce

+Distance-Time Graph

This graph shows an increase in speed since the line is going up and getting steeper

Basically, this graph shows an object accelerating

time

dis

tan

ce

+Speed-Time Graphs

Speed time graphs look a like distance-time graphs

Make sure you read the labels to read the graph correctly

Time is on the x-axis

Where speed (or velocity) are on the y-axis time

Speed/

Velo

city

+Speed-Time Graphs

A straight horizontal line on a speed time graph means that speed is constant

It has not decreased or increased as time has progressed

time

Speed

+Speed Time Graphs

This graph shows increasing speed or acceleration

time

Speed

+Speed- Time Graphs

This graph shows decreasing speed or deceleration

time

Speed