TRAVEL GRAPHS

KINEMATICS
It involves problems which have to do with distance, time, speed(Velocity) and acceleration.
Kinema means motion.
Units Used
Distance travelled= 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑚
Velocity= 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠/𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑟 𝑚/𝑠
Acceleration=𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠/𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 2 or 𝑚/𝑠 2
Time taken=𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑠
Distance Time Graphs
The gradient of a distance time graph is the velocity or speed of the body
Key Points
- If the gradient is positive the body is moving away from the fixed or reference point.
- If the gradient is zero the body is at rest (not moving).
- If the gradient is negative the body is moving towards a fixed point.
The diagram below shows a distance time graph of a car.

400
- Outward speed of the car=gradient of the line AB= 2 = 200𝑘𝑚/ℎ
- The gradient of the line BC is zero so the car was at rest for 3 hours at a distance of 400km
from its starting point.
400
- Gradient of CD= − 4 = −100. So the car travelled at 100𝑘𝑚/ℎ on its return journey.

Velocity Time Graphs

1 The slope or gradient of a velocity time graph is the acceleration of the body
Key Points
- A positive slope shows increasing velocity (acceleration)
- Zero slope shows the body is moving with constant velocity.
- If the slope/gradient is negative the body is slowing down (decelerating) i.e velocity is
decreasing.

DAVID CHILEKWA 1
2 The area below a velocity time graph is the distance travelled by the body.
The diagram below shows a velocity time graph of a body.

- Slope of AB is the acceleration of the body

90
∴ 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = = 9𝑚/𝑠 2
10
- Slope of BC is zero so the body was moving with a constant velocity of 90m/s for 5 seconds
that is from 19 to 15 seconds.
90
- The magnitude of the slope of CD is − 6 = −15 ∴ 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 15𝑚/𝑠 2 .

The area below the graph is the distance travelled by the body in the 21 seconds of motion.
Area of the trapezium ABCD= 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦
1
= 2 × 𝐵𝐸(𝐴𝐷 + 𝐵𝐶)
1
= 2 × 90(21 + 5)

= 1170𝑐𝑚
EXAMPLES

Calculate
(a) The acceleration of the particle in the first 10 seconds,
(b) The value of t, if it travelled 50m from the 20th second,
(c) The average speed of the particle for the whole journey.

DAVID CHILEKWA 2
 EXERCISE
1 The diagram below is a graph of a moving object which decelerates uniformly at 8 𝑚/𝑠 2 from a
speed of 52 m/s to V m/s in 6 seconds. It then moves at a constant speed for 10 seconds and finally
decelerates to come to rest in 4 seconds. (2020 Internal)

Calculate
(a) The speed v,
(b) The total distance travelled for the whole journey,
(c) The average speed for the whole journey.
2 A sprinter runs a race of 200m. Her total time taken for running the race is 25 seconds ending at U
m/s. Below is a sketch of the motion of the sprinter. (2020 G.C.E)

Calculate
(a) The acceleration in the first 4 seconds,
(b) The distance covered for the first 20 seconds,
(c) The value of U.
3 The diagram below shows the speed-time graph of a particle. The particle started off from rest and
accelerated uniformly for 10 seconds. It then travelled at a constant speed for 20 seconds and then
decelerated to rest. (2018 G.C.E)

DAVID CHILEKWA 3
 (a) Find the speed V the particle reached if its acceleration was 2 𝑚/𝑠 2 in the first 10 seconds.
[2]
(b) Given that the total distance covered was 750m. find the value of 𝑡 in the diagram. [2]
(c) What was the speed at 40 seconds? [2]
4 The diagram below shows a speed-time graph of a car journey. (2017 Internal)

(a) Find the acceleration during the first 5 seconds. [1]

(b) If the total distance travelled was 825 m, find the value of T. [3]
(c) Find the average speed for the whole journey. [2]

5 The diagram below is the speed time graph of an object. The object starts from rest and accelerates
uniformly for 2 seconds until it reaches a speed of 10 m/s. It then travels at this speed for 8 seconds
and finally decelerates to rest after 5 seconds. (2022 Internal)

Find the
(a) Retardation of the object in the last 5 seconds, [1]
(b) distance covered for the first 10 seconds, [2]
(c) average speed of the object for the whole journey. [3]
6
DAVID CHILEKWA 4
 The diagram below is the speed time graph of a moving car. The car decelerates uniformly from a
speed of 24 m/s to a speed of v m/s in 3 seconds. It then moves at a uniform speed for 10 seconds
and finally decelerates at 3 𝑚/𝑠 2 until it comes to rest after 𝑡 seconds. (2021 G.C.E)

Find the
(a) speed V, if the deceleration in the first 3 seconds was 2𝑚/𝑠 2 , [2]
(b) distance covered for the first 13 seconds, [2]
(c) the value of 𝑡. [2]
7 The diagram below shows the speed-time graph of a moving object. (2021)

(a) find the acceleration of the object when 𝑡 = 3, [1]

(b) given that the object decelerates at 2 𝑚/𝑠 2 , find the value of 𝑡, [2]
(c) calculate the average speed of the object in the first 10 seconds of the journey. [3]
8 The diagram below is the speed time graph of a car. The car starts from rest and accelerates
uniformly at 2 𝑚/𝑠 2 for 𝑡 seconds until it reaches a speed of 16 m/s. It then travels at 16 m/s for 40
seconds, after which it comes to rest in a further 10 seconds. (2019 Internal)

Find the
(a) value of 𝑡 [1]
(b) distance travelled in the last 50 seconds, [2]
(c) speed of the car when 𝑡 = 53 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠. [3]
9
DAVID CHILEKWA 5
 The diagram below is the speed time graph of a particle which accelerates uniformly from rest for
12 seconds until it reaches a speed of 24 m/s. It moves at a constant speed for a further 12 seconds
before it accelerate uniformly for another 6 seconds to a speed of V m/s. (2018 Internal)

(a) calculate its acceleration for the first 12 seconds, [1]

(b) Find the distance which the particle covered in the first 24 seconds, [2]
(c) Given that the total distance covered was 600 m, calculate the value of V. [3]

10 The diagram below is the speed time graph of a 100m sprinter who accelerates uniformly from for
3 seconds until he reaches a speed of 12 m/s. He maintains his speed for 7 seconds and then
uniformly retards for a further 4 seconds and comes to a stop. (2017 G.C.E)

Calculate
(a) The acceleration in the first 3 seconds, [2]
(b) The retardation at the end of his race, [2]
(c) The distance covered in the first 10 seconds. [2]
11 The diagram below is the speed time graph of a particle. The particle accelerates uniformly from a
speed of V m/s to a speed of 5V m/s in 20 seconds. (2016 Internal)

DAVID CHILEKWA 6
 (a) Find an expression in terms of v, for acceleration. [1]
(b) The distance travelled by the object from 0 seconds to 20 seconds is 80 m. find the value of
v. [2]
(c) Find the speed at 𝑡 = 15 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠. [3]

12 The speed-time graph below shows how Mr. Chilekwa drove from his home to his friend’s home.
[2016 Specimen)

(a) Find his acceleration during the first 4 seconds. [2]

(b) If his deceleration was 10 𝑚/𝑠 2 , what was the maximum speed, V. attained? [2]
(c) Calculate the distance that he covered between the 12th and 20th seconds. [2]

DAVID CHILEKWA 7