Greg Kelly, Hanford High School, Richland, Washington Photo by Vickie Kelly, 2006

-100
-50
0
50
100
2 4 6 8 10
ft
min
minutes
A honey bee makes several trips from the hive to a flower
garden. The velocity graph is shown below.
What is the total distance traveled by the bee?
200ft
200ft
200ft
100ft
200 200 200 100 700 + + + =
700 feet

-100
-50
0
50
100
2 4 6 8 10
ft
min
minutes
What is the displacement of the bee?
200ft
-200ft
200ft
-100ft
200 200 200 100 100 + =
100 feet towards the hive

To find the displacement (position shift) from the velocity

function, we just integrate the function. The negative
areas below the x-axis subtract from the total
displacement.
( )
Displacement
b
a
V t dt =
}
( )
Distance Traveled
b
a
V t dt =
}
To find distance traveled we have to use absolute value.
Find the roots of the velocity equation and integrate in
pieces, just like when we found the area between a curve
and the x-axis. (Take the absolute value of each integral.)
Or you can use your calculator to integrate the absolute
value of the velocity function.

-2
-1
0
1
2
1 2 3 4 5
velocity graph
-2
-1
0
1
2
1 2 3 4 5
position graph
1
2
1
2
1
2
Displacement:
1 1
1 2 1
2 2
+ =
Distance Traveled:
1 1
1 2 4
2 2
+ + + =
Every AP exam I have seen
has had at least one
problem requiring students
to interpret velocity and
position graphs.

In the linear motion equation:

( )
dS
V t
dt
= V(t) is a function of time.
For a very small change in time, V(t) can be
considered a constant.
( )
dS V t dt =
( )
S V t t A = A
We add up all the small changes in S to get
the total distance.
1 2 3
S V t V t V t = A + A + A +
( )
1 2 3
S V V V t = + + + A

( )
S V t t A = A
We add up all the small changes in S to get
the total distance.
1 2 3
S V t V t V t = A + A + A +
( )
1 2 3
S V V V t = + + + A
1
k
n
n
S V t
=
= A

1
n
n
S V t

=
= A

( )
S V t dt =
}
As the number of subintervals becomes
infinitely large (and the width becomes
infinitely small), we have integration.

This same technique is used in many different real-life

problems.

Example 5:
National Potato Consumption
The rate of potato consumption
for a particular country was:
( )
2.2 1.1
t
C t = +
where t is the number of years
since 1970 and C is in millions
of bushels per year.
For a small , the rate of consumption is constant. t A
The amount consumed during that short time is . ( )
C t t A

Example 5:
National Potato Consumption
( )
2.2 1.1
t
C t = +
The amount consumed during that short time is . ( )
C t t A
We add up all these small
amounts to get the total
consumption:
( )
total consumption C t dt =
}
4
2
2.2 1.1
t
dt +
}
4
2
1
2.2 1.1
ln1.1
t
t = +
From the beginning of 1972 to
the end of 1973:
7.066 ~
million
bushels

Work:
work force distance =
Calculating the work is easy
when the force and distance are
constant.
When the amount of force
varies, we get to use calculus!

Hookes law for springs:

F kx =
x = distance that
the spring is
extended beyond
its natural length
k = spring
constant

Hookes law for springs:

F kx =
Example 7:
It takes 10 Newtons to stretch a
spring 2 meters beyond its natural
length.
F=10 N
x=2 M
10 2 k =
5 k = 5 F x =
How much work is done stretching
the spring to 4 meters beyond its
natural length?

F(x)
x=4 M
How much work is done stretching
the spring to 4 meters beyond its
natural length?
For a very small change in x, the
force is constant.
( )
dw F x dx =
5 dw x dx =
5 dw x dx =
} }
4
0
5 W x dx =
}
4
2
0
5
2
W x =
40 W =
newton-meters
40 W =
joules
( )
5 F x x =
t