text description here

1. Honors Physics
Name_____________________________
Graph Magic
Part I – Meaning of Graphs
Assume all motion takes place along a horizontal number line. Zero is in the middle. To the
right of zero is the positive range and to the left of zero is the negative range.
1. Sketch a position versus time graph, a velocity versus time graph, and an acceleration versus time
graph for an object moving to the right at a constant speed. Label your axes!
0 0 0
2. Sketch a position versus time graph, a velocity versus time graph, and an acceleration versus time
graph for an object moving to the left at a constant speed. Label your axes!
0 0 0
3. If the graph shown to the right were a position vs. time graph is the object:
a. moving to the right or to the left? ___________________________
b. increasing in speed or decreasing or moving at a constant speed?
________________________
c. accelerating or not? ___________________________
4. If the graph shown to the right were a velocity vs. time graph is the
object:
a. is the object ever stopped? __________________________
b. is the object ever moving with a negative velocity?
________________________
c. accelerating or not? ___________________________
5. If the graph shown to the right were an acceleration vs. time graph is the object:
a. ever not accelerating? ___________________________
b. ever moving at a constant speed? ________________________

2. Part 2 – Distance to Velocity to Acceleration – Straight Lines
Use the graph of position versus time shown below to complete the other two graphs for the same
motion. Think carefully about this.
Distance vs. Time
+
-
Velocity vs. Time
+
-
Acceleration vs. Time
+
-

3. Part 3 – Distance to Velocity to Acceleration – Curved Lines
Distance vs. Time
+
-
Velocity vs. Time
+
-
Acceleration vs. Time
+
-

4. Distance vs. Time
+
-
Velocity vs. Time
+
-
Acceleration vs. Time
+
-

5. For the following graph, each box is worth one unit on the x and y axes respectively. The lower left hand corner is the origin.
Part 4 – Obtaining Information from Graphs
Use the grid below to sketch Bob Smith’s motion. Bob Smith walks for three seconds at a pace of
10 m/s. During the next three seconds he slows down at a constant rate. By six seconds, he is at rest.
speed (m/s)
time (s)
Use your sketch above to calculate Bob’s acceleration from:
a) 0 to 3 seconds
b) 3 to 6 seconds
Use your sketch above to calculate the area under the graphed line from:
a) 0 to 3 seconds
b) 3 to 6 seconds
How far would the man have walked from 0 to 6 seconds?
By analyzing the units, we already know that the:
Slope of a distance vs. time graph tells us ________________________________________________
Slope of a velocity vs. time graph tells us _________________________________________________
By analyzing the units, we also now know that the:
Area under a velocity vs. time graph tells us ______________________________________________

6. For the following graphs, each box is worth one unit on the x and y axes respectively. The lower left hand corner is the origin.
Velocity (m/s)
Calculate the area under the line from t = 10 to t = 20 secs.
Leave your answer in the correct units! What does this value
represent?
Time (sec)
Distance (m)
Calculate the velocity at t = 8 secs. You will need to sketch
a tangent line at this point. Is this object speeding up or
slowing down (forward is the positive direction)?
Time (sec)
Acceleration (m/s/s)
Calculate the change of velocity between t = 2 & 15 secs.
Time (sec)
Overall Rules about Slope and Area
On a graph of Position vs. time
Slope tells us ____________________ Area tells us ____________________
On a graph of Velocity vs. time
Slope tells us ____________________ Area tells us ____________________
On a graph of Acceleration vs. time
Slope tells us ____________________ Area tells us ____________________