SPEED, VELOCITY,

ACCELERATION AND MOTION

GRAPHS
(m/s)
(m/s)
 IMPORTANT FORMULAE

 Average Speed = Total Distance

Total Time

 Average velocity = total displacement = u + v

total time 2
 Acceleration = v – u

t
 s =u+v

t 2
ACCELERATION
 Acceleration = Final velocity − Initial velocity
Time Taken
a= v-u
t
 Acceleration is the rate of change in velocity measured in m/s2
 Acceleration is a vector quantity.

 Positive acceleration means the velocity of a body is increasing.

 Deceleration or negative acceleration means the velocity of a

body is decreasing.
 If acceleration is not constant, the speed/time graph will be
curved.
 The downwards acceleration of an object is caused by
gravity. This happens most when an object is in free
fall.
 Objects are slowed down by air resistance. Once air
resistance is equal to the force of gravity, the object
has reached terminal velocity. This means that it will
stay at a constant velocity.
 Acceleration of free fall for a body near to the Earth
is constant (G=10m/s2)
 AVERAGE VELOCITY
 Average velocity (v)=

v=

s=xt

u = initial velocity
v = final velocity
s = distance
t = time
MOTION GRAPHS
 Motion is a change in position measured in
distance and time.
 Speed tells us the rate at which an object
moves.
 Velocity tells the speed and direction of a
moving object.
 Acceleration tells us the rate at which speed
or direction of velocity changes.
DISTANCE – TIME GRAPH
 A distance-time graph Constant
Speed
tells us how far an object
has moved with time. Stationary

 The steeper the graph,

the faster the motion.
 A horizontal line means
the object is not changing Constant
Speed,
its position - it is not returning to
moving, it is at rest. start
 A downward sloping line
means the object is
returning to the start.
SPEED/TIME GRAPHS
 Speed-Time graphs are also
called Velocity-Time graphs.
 Area under the line measures
the distance travelled.
 A speed - time graph shows us
how the speed of a moving
object changes with time.
• The steeper the graph, the
greater the acceleration.
• A horizontal line means the
object is moving at a constant
speed.
• A downward sloping line means
the object is slowing down.
GRADIENT OF SPEED-TIME GRAPH
 The slope or gradient (steepness) of a speed-time
graph is equal to the acceleration of the body.

 Gradient = y2 – y1 = acceleration (m/s2)

x2 – x1
Area under the speed- time graph
 Gives the distance travelled
 Area of a rectangle = l x b

 Area of a trapezium = ½ (a+b) h

 Area of triangle = ½ bxh