A LEVEL PHYSICS

MOTION GRAPHS
BY: USMAN SHAHZAD
LESSON REVIEW

• Define uniform acceleration:

Equal increase in velocity during equal intervals of time.
• How can we calculate total distance travelled from velocity time graph?
By calculating area under the graph.
• Which value can we get from gradient of distance time graph?
Speed
• What is deceleration?

Negative acceleration of object when velocity decreases.

PRACTICE
QUESTIONS
• The speed-time graph
shows a 50-second car
journey, find which
section of the graph has
the greatest acceleration. 
SOLUTION

• We know, The gradient of the line = Acceleration

• First lets find the gradient of the each section. 
• A: Acceleration between 0s and 10s = gradient= {15-0}/{10-0}=1.5 m/s^2
• B:This section is flat, meaning the acceleration will be 0
• C: Acceleration between 20s and 30s = gradient  = {25-15} /{30-20} = 1 m/s^2
• D: Acceleration between 30s and 50s = gradient = {0-25}\{50-30} = -1.25 m/s^2
CALCULATING TOTAL
DISTANCE TRAVELLED

• The speed-time
graph shows a 50-
second car journey,
Calculate the total
distance travelled
over the 50 seconds. 
SOLUTION

• we know, Area under the graph = Distance travelled

• To work out the area under this graph, we will break it into 4 shapes: A, B, C, and D.
• This gives two triangles, a rectangle, and a trapezium, which are all shapes that we can work out the area of.
• Area of A = 75 m
• Area of B = 150 m
• Area of C = 200m
• Area of D = 250 m
• Total Distance = A+ B+ C + D = 675 m
CLASS TASK

• A ball is placed at rest at the top of a hill. It

travels with constant acceleration for the
first 12 second and reaches a speed of 4 m/s. It
then decelerates at a constant rate
of 0.1 m/s^2 for 20 seconds. It then travels at a
constant speed for a further 18 seconds.
• Draw a speed-time graph for the ball over the
course of this 50 seconds.
EXAM QUESTION