2.

From motion graphs, you will get information about:

(i) how far something has traveled – (distance, displacement)
(ii) how fast it is moving – (speed, velocity)
(iii) the speed changes with time – (acceleration / deceleration)

Plot and interpret displacement-time graph

Diagram on the left shows

the motion of a car at
different time.
(a) Plot the graph.
(b) Calculate the gradient of
the graph.

(c) What is the unit of this

gradient?

(d) What is the physical

quantity showed by this
unit?
(e) Describe the motion of the car. Displacement – time
graph:
The gradient = velocity

Deduce from the shape of a displacement-time graph

Object is at __________  Object traveling at _________  The rate of change of

because it is at the _______ velocity because displacement is _________
___________ at any time. displacement increases  The gradient of the curve is
constantly in every second. _________ showing that
Velocity = gradient = ______  The straight line of the graph the _________is increasing
m/s has a constant _________  The object experience
 Velocity = gradient ____________
= ______ m/s

51
Determine distance, displacement and velocity from the displacement-time graph

52
 Object is moving with
increasing velocity and
then keeps moving with
uniform velocity

Object is moving with

decreasing velocity and then
stop

Object is moving with

uniform velocity and then
returns with uniform velocity

The following figure shows displacement – time graph of an object.

Based on the graph
(a) calculate the velocity of the object between

(i) AB (ii) BC (iii) CD

(b) describe the motion of the object between

(i) AB : __________________________________

(ii) BC : ____________________________ (iii) CD : __________________________________

(c) Find:
(i) total distance (ii) total displacement

(d) Calculate:
(i) the average speed (ii) the average velocity of the moving particle.

Plot and interpret velocity-time graph

53
The diagram shows the
car moves from rest in a
straight line.
(a) Plot the graph.
(b) Calculate the
gradient of the graph.

(c) What is the unit of

this gradient?

(d) What is the physical

quantity showed by
this unit? (e) Calculate the area under the graph. State the unit.

(f) What is the physical quantity showed by this unit.

Velocity – time graph

The gradient = acceleration /
Deduce from the shape of a velocity-time graph
deceleration
The area under the graph =
displacement

 Gradient = acceleration  Gradient = acceleration

= _____ = ______  Gradient = constant =
 Area under the graph =  Area under the graph = ________
displacement = _______ _____________
 Object is at _______.  Displacement traveled =  Acceleration = ________
_______ m
 Object moves with  Area under the graph =
constant ____________
 Displacement traveled =
______m.
 Object moves with constant
_____________.

Notes:
 In linear motion analysis, if the velocity of a particle is zero, it means that the particle has
stopped moving.
 If the velocity of the particle becomes negative, then the particle is moving opposite to its
earlier direction of motion.

54
 Determine distance, displacement, velocity and acceleration from a velocity-time graph

The following is the velocity-time graph of a car.

Based on the graph,

(a) Calculate the acceleration of the car between

(i) JK (ii) KL

(iii) LM (iv) MN

(b) State the type of motion of the car between

(i) JK : _____________________________________ (ii) KL : _______________________________

(iii) LM : _____________________________________ (iv) MN : ______________________________

(c) Calculate the total displacement travelled of the car during
(i) the first 10 s of motion (ii) the car moves with uniform velocity

(iii) the last 10 s of motion

(d) Calculate
(i) the total distance for the whole journey (ii) the total displacement for the whole journey.

(e) Calculate
(i) the average speed (ii) the average velocity

Solve problems on linear motion with uniform acceleration

1. A students walks at a constant velocity from position A to reach position B in 200 seconds. He
rests for 100 seconds at position B and then walks back to position A using the same straight
path. He reaches position A after 200 seconds.
Sketch the displacement – time graph for the motion of the student.

55
2.
s/m Calculate:-
(i) Velocity over OP, QR and RS
(ii) Displacement
P Q
Solution :

3. O R
v/m s-1
0 2 4 6 8 t/s
Calculate:-
(i) acceleration,a over OP, PQ and QR
10 (ii)SDisplacement

P Q Solution :
5

O R
0 2 4 6 8 10 t/s

4. (a) s/m (b) s/m (c) s/m

10

t/s 0 2 4 t/s t/s

-5 -10
Figure 2.21
Describe and interpret the motion of a body which is represented by the displacement
time graphs in Figure 2.21

56
5. Describe and interpret the motion of body which is represented by the velocity-time
graphs shown in figure 2.22. In each case, find the distance covered by the body and its
displacement

(a) v/m s-1 (b) v/m s-1

10

t/s 0 2 4 t/s
-5 -10

Figure 2.22

Conclusion
1. Gradient of the graph s against t gives the ___________ of an object
2. Gradient of the graph v against t gives the ___________ of an object
3. Area under the graph v against t gives the _____________ traveled by the object.
The conclusion of the motion graphs Graph

The following graphs show a displacement –

time graph.

1. Which graph corresponds to a body at

rest?

2. Which graph corresponds to a body

moving with a constant velocity?

3. Which graph corresponds to a body

moving with a constant acceleration?

4. Which graph corresponds to a body

moving with a constant deceleration?

The following graphs are velocity–time

graph.
TUTORIAL 2.2

57
 10. The graph shows how the displacement,s
of an object changes with time,t.

5. Which graph corresponds to a body

moving with constant velocity?

6. Which graph corresponds to a body

moving with constant acceleration?

7. Which graph correctly describes the

object moving with an increasing
acceleration.

8. The graph shows how the velocity, v of 11. The following figure shows the velocity,v
an object changes with time,t. against time, t.

Which of the following graphs is its

corresponding acceleration,a against
time , t graph?
Which section of the graph shows the
object moving with a decreasing
acceleration ?
A PQ B QR
C RS D ST

9. The graph shows how the velocity,v of an

object changes with time,t.

If the motion of the object is illustrated

by displacement, s against time,t graph,
which of the following is true.

12. The graph shows how the velocity of a

car changes with time

58
 15. Based on the graph velocity – time
above ,calculate the total distance
travelled during the first 80 s of motion.

A 550 m B 640 m
C 700 m D 900 m
E 1800 m
Which of the following can be deduced
from the graph?
A The car accelerates uniformly
B The car decelerates until it stops
C The car first accelerates and then
moves with a steady velocity
D The car first decelerates and then
moves with a steady velocity

13. Based on the velocity –time graph above 16. Based on the velocity –time graph above
calculate the deceleration. calculate the average velocity.
A 3.0 ms-1
B 4.6 ms-1
C 5.8 ms-1
D 6.2 ms-1
E 8.4 ms-1

17. Diagram below is a velocity-time graph

showing the motion of an object.
A 60 ms-2 B 30 ms-2
C 2.5 ms-2 D 1.25 ms-2
E 0.5 ms-2

Which of the following describes the

motion of the object? (2007)

OJ JK
A Uniform Decreasing
acceleration acceleration
B Increasing Decreasing
14. Based on the displacement – time graph acceleration acceleration
above, what is the total displacement., C Increasing Uniform
A 0m B 5m acceleration acceleration
C 10 m D 20 m D Uniform Uniform
E 50 m acceleration deceleration

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS

59
Question 1 (ii) Calculate the gradient of the
18. (a) Figure 1.1 shows a displacement-time graph.
graph of an object.

(iii) Write down an equation which

relates v and t.

(iv) Calculate the total distance

traveled by the object.

Figure 1.1

(i) State the physical quantity which

represents the gradient of the
graph.

(ii) Calculate the gradient of the

graph, m. 19. Figure 2 shows a displacement-time
graph of a lift moving from the 4th floor to
the 7th and goes down again to the 1st
(iii) Write an equation relating s and t. floor.

(b) Figure 1.2 shows a graph of velocity v

against time t.

Figure 2

(a) For the interval K to L:

(ii) What is the type of motion shown
by the lift?

(i) State the physical quantity which (iii) Give a reason for this type of
represents the gradient of the motion of the lift.
graph.
(b) (i) Calculate the total distance covered
by the motion of the lift?

60
 ……………………………………………

(d) What was the cat’s time for the

(i) For the entire motion of the lift shown race?
in Figure 1, calculate the
displacement of the lift. ……………………………………………

(e) Calculate the average speed of the

man.
(c) What is the difference between distance
and displacement?

(f) What is the speed of the cat after 16

(d) Draw a velocity-time graph for the lift seconds.
from J to N.

20. A man runs a race against a cat. Below is

a graph showing how they moved during
the race.

(a) What was the distance for the race?

……………………………………………

(b) After how many seconds did the cat

overtake the man? 21. Figure (a) shows a track of a toy car .
It takes 3 s to travel from P to Q , 5 s
…………………………………………… from Q to R and another 11 s from R to
S.
(c) How far from the start did the cat Figure B shows distance – time graph
overtake the man? represents the motion of the toy car.

61
 (a) (i) Which region of the graph shows
the maximum speed of the car.

(ii) Give the reason for your

answer in (a)(i)

___________________________

(b) What is the total displacement of the

car for the whole journey.

(c) What is the total distance of the car (a) How long the driver takes the time
for the whole journey. during he starts see the road block
until the brakes are effective.

(d) Calculate the average velocity for

the whole journey.

(e) Calculate the average speed for the (b) Calculate the distance between the
whole journey. car and the road block when the car
stop.

(f) Plot graph speed – time for the

whole journey of the car. (c) Based on the graph velocity- time
above , sketch the graph
acceleration- time.

22. While traveling along the road at 20 ms-1 ,

a car driver suddenly sees the road
ahead blocked at the distance 62 m from
the car. He applies the brakes as fast as
he can.
Once the brakes are applied , the car still
moves faster. He applies the brakes
again more strongly until it stops before
the road block.
The following graph shows the motion of
the car.

62