AP Calculus AB – Worksheet 90 Position, Velocity and Acceleration – Graphs

1. Particle Motion The accompanying figure shows the velocity v  f t  of a particle moving on a coordinate line.

a) When does the particle move forward? Move backward?

Speed up? Slow down?

b) When is the particle’s acceleration positive? Negative? Zero?

c) When does the particle move at its greatest speed?

d) When does the particle stand still for more than an instant?

2. Particle Motion A particle P moves along the x-axis. It’s velocity, v  t  , is given in the graph below for the interval
0,7 . It is given that s  0   5 , meaning the position of the particle is 5 when t  0 .

a) Find s  3 , v  3 and a  3 .

b) When is P moving to the left? Moving to the right? Justify your answers.

c) When does P change direction? Justify your answer.

d) Find the position of the particle when it is furthest to the right (abs. max)
and furthest to the left (abs. min.). Show the work that leads to your
solution.

ds
3. Particle Motion The accompanying figure shows the velocity v   f t  (m/sec) of a body moving along a
dt
coordinate line.

a) When does the body reverse direction?

b) When (approximately) is the body moving at a constant speed?

c) Graph the body’s speed for 0  t  10 .

d) Graph the acceleration, where defined.

Answers:
1. 2. 3.
(a)

(b)