Lesson 3: Motion Graphs - Position Time Graphs

• Position time graph - determines the position of an object over a period of time
• Position is always outlined on vertical axis, time is always on the horizontal axis
• The direction that we have must be the + value (Q1) and the other direction is negative (Q4)
• 0,0 is reference point or where the line touches x axis
• Terms:

  uniform velocity

  non-uniform velocity

  (direction & speed)
• Types of Motion Graphs for speed/velocity

  1. Constant speed/velocity: a straight line segment
  2. Rest: no motion (straight horizontal line)
  3. Change of velocity: Faster (position is increasing)
  4. Change of velocity: Slower (position is decreasing)
• ->Vav

  velocity = slope

  slope = m = y2-y1/x2-x1
• Instantaneous Velocity - velocity at a specific point in time of an object in motion
• Instantaneous Velocity:

  • draw tangent line (touches at 1 point)
  • Find slope of line to find velocity of point
• Finding average speed & average velocity from graph

  
  

  average speed: distance, add all distances

  average velocity: displacement, add all distances in 1 direction, make other direction negative