MOTION 2- MOTION GRAPHS

MATHEMATICAL CONCEPT NEEDED AND USED IN MOTION GRAPHS

Finding the Gradient (Slope) of a Straight Line
The method to calculate the Gradient is:
Divide the change in height by the change in horizontal distance

Gradient =
Change∈ y / change∈x
=∆y/∆x

Sometimes the horizontal change is called "run", and the vertical change is called "rise" or "fall":

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 They are just different words, none of the calculations change.

Examples:
1.

Gradient= ∆y/∆x = 4/2=2

Gradient=∆y/∆x =3/5=0.6
The line is less steep, and so the Gradient is smaller.

Positive or Negative?
 Starting from the left end of the line and going across to the right is positive.
 Up is positive, and down is negative. 

Gradient = -4  = –2
2

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That line goes down as you move along, so it has a negative Gradient.
Straight Across / horizontal line

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Gradient =  =  0
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A line that goes straight across (Horizontal) has a Gradient of zero.

Straight Up and Down= vertical line

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Gradient =  = undefined
0

That last one is a bit tricky ... you can't divide by zero,
so a "straight up and down" (Vertical) line's Gradient is "undefined".

Introduction to motion graphs

In any investigation, the results can be presented either in table format or by drawing graphs.
The tables are good for organizing data.
For analysis, graphs can make trends easier to see.
In practice we notice the following types of motion-

 A body at rest.
 A body moving at constant speed.
 A body moving at increasing speed.(accelerating)
 A body moving at decreasing speed. ( deceleration or negative acceleration)
 A body moving backwards.
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The movement of objects can be described using motion graphs and numerical values.
1. Distance-time graphs

 A distance-time graph shows how the distance of an object (from a point) varies over time:

The vertical axis of a distance-time graph is the distance travelled from the start.
The horizontal axis is the time from the start.
Distance-time graphs are also known as position-time graphs or displacement-time graphs.
Describing the graphs and their features
Case 1-a body at rest
A straight horizontal line on distance-time graph means the object is at rest /stationary.

0 1 2 3 4 5

In this graph distance is not increasing as time is increasing. That is the object is not changing its position or is at rest.

In this graph gradient or steepness is zero.

Case 2-a body moving at constant speed
A straight diagonal line or a straight line sloping upwards on distance-time graph shows the object is moving
at constant speed.

 
Gradient or steepness of distance-time graph shows "speed of the object".
Higher the gradient higher the speed.
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For example

In above diagram Line "a" is the steepest therefore has higher average speed than the rest where as "c" has
the lowest average speed.
Case 3
A curve sloping upwards or if the gradient increases the object is speeding up (accelerating) / speed is
increasing.

Above graph shows that distance is increasing as time is increasing and as time is increasing the graph is
getting steeper and steeper.
If a graph is getting steeper at faster rate it means its acceleration is higher.
NB. Lines which get more vertical over time on a distance-time graph are called "acceleration graphs".

Case 4
A curve sloping downwards or if the gradient decreases the object is slowing down (decelerating)/ speed is
decreasing.

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The graph shown above is getting less steep over the time. Therefore, speed is decreasing which means object
is decelerating.
Curve graphs which gets flatter over the time are "deceleration graphs"
Case 5
If the straight line is going down, the object is moving backwards.

In the above graph, the slope is constant and negative, means velocity is constant and negative.
NB: The velocity is negative means the object is moving in the backward direction or returning.

Uses of d-t graph

1. Helps us to know the type of motion an object is undergoing.
2. We can calculate the Average Speed of the object by finding the gradient of the graph.
3. We can know the distance travelled by the object in a particular time.

4. We can know how long it takes for an object to travel a particular distance.

Calculating Speed from a Distance-Time Graph

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The average speed can be calculated for any part of a journey by taking the change in distance and dividing by
the change in time for that part of the journey.

Speed = 20m / 5 s= 4 m/s

For a curved line where the speed is changing, just remember that your result is the average speed in this
case. You may also notice that the formula for calculating speed is sometime written with small
triangles Δ (the Greek letter delta) in front of d (distance) and t (time). The Δ is just short hand for "change in".
Therefore, Δt means "change in time

Draw a tangent (perpendicular line) at the point of interest. Then find the gradient of that tangent drawn.

For example, at 3s, the Average speed, v= ∆d / ∆t=∆y/∆x

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Drawing or Plotting a graph for a given situation

 Always put "distance" on Y-axis and "time" on X-axis unless told otherwise.
 Always put units along with quantities in brackets. distance (m) and time(s).

Examiners may give you a situation and ask you to draw its graph OR examiner may exhibit a graph and ask
you to describe it.

Practice work.

1. The table gives information about a journey made by a cyclist.

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(a) Plot these points on the grid given below.    (3)
(b) (i) Use your graph to find the distance in kilometres which the cyclist travelled in 4.5 hours. (1)
(ii) Use your graph to find the time in hours taken by the cyclist to travel 35 kilometres. (1)
(c) State the equation which relates average speed, distance moved and time taken. (1)

2. Alice runs a race the motion of which is plotted on a distance-time graph as shown below. 20m--5 divisions

? 1 div.

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 ∆y=68-0

=68m

∆x= 8-0

a) Over what distance was the race run? 68m

b) How long did the runner take to cover this distance? 8s

c) How can we conclude from the graph that the runner ran at a steady speed during the race?

It’s straight line sloping upwards with constant gradient.

d) What was the runner's average speed?

Average speed= gradient= ∆y/∆x=68m/8s=8.5 m/s.

e) On the same axes plot a graph for a runner who ran 96 m in 12 seconds at a steady speed.

f) Calculate the speed at which this runner ran the race.

Speed=∆y/∆x=96/12=8m/s

3. John left his home and walked 3 blocks to his school, as shown in the accompanying graph.

What is one possible interpretation of the section of the graph from point B to point C?
(A) John arrived at school and stayed throughout the day. 

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(B) John waited before crossing a busy street. 
(C) John returned home to get his mathematics homework. 
(D) John reached the top of a hill and began walking on level ground.

4. A student walks at constant speed from home to a library, waits to collect a book and then runs to a friend's
house.
The distance-time graph for the student is shown. Three sections of the graph are labelled P, Q and R.

Complete the sentences with P, Q or R.

(i) The student is walking at constant speed in section ...P.......................................... (1)
(ii) The student is waiting at the library in section ..Q............................................. (1)
(iii) The two sections of the graph that take equal amounts of time are.Q.............. and ....R.............(1)
(b) Use words from the box to complete the sentences.
You may use each word once, more than once or not at all.

(i) My answer to (a)(i) is because the section of the graph is.. STRAIGHT LINE.....................
and .CONST. GRADIENT..............................   (2)
(ii) My answer to (a)(ii) is because the section of the graph is...HORIZONTAL
LINE................................................(1)
(c) How does the graph show that the student's friend lives nearer to the library than the student
does?.DISTANCE OF FRIEND’S HOUSE TO THE LIBRARY IS SHORTER THAN
(ii) THAT OF HIS HOUSE..........................................(1)

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 Which runner won the race? Explain your answer.
Which runner stopped for a rest? Explain your answer.
How long was the stop? Explain your answer.
How long did Bob take to complete the race? Explain your answer.
Calculate Albert’s average speed.

Velocity-time graph (v-t graph)

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Velocity-time graphs are used to describe the motion of objects which are moving in a straight line.

We can use them to

1. determine whether the object is moving at any point in time.

2. See what speed the object is travelling at that point in time.

3.Using data from the graph, we can calculate any acceleration, the change in speed and the change in time.

The gradient of the v-t graph gives the acceleration of the object.

4. We can also use graphs to calculate distance travelled.

The area under a velocity-time graph represents the distance travelled.

Describing a graph
Always put velocity with its unit in brackets on Y-axis and time with its unit in brackets on X-axis unless told
otherwise.
Case 1- A body at rest
The velocity-time graph for a body at rest will be on the X-AXIS.
A body at rest will not have any velocity or v=0 m/s.

Case 2- A body moving at constant velocity.

A horizontal line on a speed-time graph represents a constant velocity.

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As time increases, there is no change in velocity.
The gradient of the horizontal line is zero. i.e. a body with constant velocity has zero acceleration.
Case 3- A body moving at constant acceleration
A sloping line upwards on a velocity-time graph represents an acceleration. The sloping line shows that the
speed of the object is changing.

a= (v-u)/t

The steeper the slope of the line the greater the acceleration.

In the above graph, Line a is steeper than b and b is steeper than c, therefore, acceleration of a is higher than
b and b has higher acceleration than c.
Case 4-a body with increasing acceleration

Explanation of increasing acceleration graph:

First, notice that graph is going up which means it is acceleration graph. Second, the graph is not straight line,
but its steepness is increasing, therefore, it concludes that it is increasing acceleration.
i.e A line upwards curving to become steeper means that the vehicle is accelerating at an increasing rate –
non-uniform acceleration.

Case 5-a body with decreasing acceleration

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In decreasing acceleration graph, the graph is getting less steep as time increases (means acceleration is
decreasing), but still its velocity is increasing as the time increases. This means object is accelerating slowly.
Example- when a body falls down with the actions of both air-resistance and the gravitational force.
Case 6-a body with constant deceleration

First, notice that as time is increasing velocity is decreasing this concludes that it is deceleration graph--since
decreasing speed or velocity is called deceleration.
Second, it is straight diagonal line going downwards. A straight diagonal line represents constant gradient but
if the line is going downwards its negative gradient. So a negative gradient on velocity-time graph represents
deceleration.

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WORKING OUT QUANTITIES FROM THE v-t GRAPH
1. Finding acceleration from the v-t graph is to find the gradient of the graph.

REST

Type of motion: ALONG AB: constant acceleration ; Along BC: constant speed

Along CD: constant acceleration ; Along DE:constant deceleration ; Along EF: body at rest

The acceleration of the vehicle in the first 10 seconds is: a= Gradient of the line AB

a= (40 m/s – 0 m/s) ÷ (10-0) s

a= 4 m/s2

The acceleration of the vehicle between 20 and 30 seconds is: ALONG CD

a= (60 m/s – 40 m/s) ÷ 10 s

a= 2 m/s2

The acceleration of the vehicle between 30 and 50 seconds is:

a= (0 m/s – 60 m/s) ÷ 20 s =-60/20

a= -3 m/s2 (decelerating)

2. To find the distance travelled by the object

The area under the graph is the distance moved.

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In the first 10 seconds this is the area of the triangle, ∆ABG= ½ × 10 s × 40 m/s = 200 m.

From 10 to 20 seconds this is the area of the rectangle, BCGH 10 s × 40 m/s = 400 m.

From 20 to 30 seconds

this is the area of the rectangle ( CJHI) and triangle (∆CDJ), (10 s × 40 m/s) + (½ × 10 s × 20 m/s) = 500 m.

OR

d= Area of the trapezium, CDHI= ½ (a+b) * h = ½ (40 + 60) x [(30-20)] = ½ (100) x 10= 500m

From 30 to 50 seconds, this is the area of the triangle, ∆DEI =½ × 20 s × 60 m/s = 600 m.

Total distance travelled = 200 m + 400 m + 500 m + 600 m = 1700 m.

3. Finding the average speed

Average speed = total distance ÷ total time = 1,700 m ÷ 50 s = 34 m/s.

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Choose the correct words from the following list to describe the motion during each segment of the
journey to fill in the blanks.

• accelerating • decelerating • constant speed • at rest

Segment 0-A The bus is ______________________________. Its speed changes from 0 to 10 m/s in 5
seconds.

Segment A-B The bus is moving at a __________________________________of 10 m/s for 5 seconds.

Segment B-C The bus is ____________________________________. It is slowing down from 10 m/s to

rest in 3 seconds.

Segment C-D The bus is ____________________________________________. It has stopped.

Segment D-E The bus is ________________________________________________. It is gradually
increasing in speed.

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