Movement and Position

Specification
Section : Forces and motion
b) Movement and position
plot and interpret distance-time graphs
know and use the relationship:
average speed = distance moved / time taken
describe experiments to investigate the motion of everyday objects such as
toy cars or tennis balls
know and use the relationship:
acceleration = change in velocity / time taken a = (v – u) / t
plot and interpret velocity-time graphs
determine acceleration from the gradient of a velocity-time graph
determine the distance travelled from the area between a velocity-time graph
and the time axis.
Average Speed
average speed = distance
time

In physics speed is usually

measured in:
metres per second (m/s)
also:
distance = speed x time

and: distance
time = distance
speed speed time
 Speed Conversions
1 kilometre per hour (km/h)
= 1000 metres per hour
but 1 hour = 3600 seconds
therefore 1 km/h = 1000m ÷ 3600 s
1 km/h = 0.28 m/s
and 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h

Also: 100 km/h = approx 63 m.p.h

 Question 1
Calculate the average speed of a car that
covers 500m in 20s.
average speed = distance
time
= 500m / 20s
= 25 m/s (about 60 mph)
 Question 2
Sound waves travel at about 340m/s through
air. How far will a sound wave travel in one
minute?
distance = speed x time
= 340 m/s x 1 minute
= 340 m/s x 60 seconds
= 20 400 m
(20.4 km or about 13 miles)
 Complete
distance time average speed
60 m 3s 20
20 m/s
1400 m 35 s 40 m/s
300 m 0.20 s 1500 m/s
80 km 2h 40 km/h
40
150 x 10 6 km 88 min 20 s 3.0 x 108 m/s
1 km 3.03 s 330 m/s
Distance-time graphs
The slope or gradient of a distance-time
graph increases with speed.

distance

st
fa
low
s

time
The slope or gradient
of a distance-time graph
is equal to the speed.

In the graph opposite:

slope = 150m / 10s
= 15 m/s
= speed
 Question 1
Sketch on the same lorry

distance
set of axes distance-
time graphs for:

s
bu
(a) a car moving at a
steady speed,
(b) a bus moving at car
a steady speed
greater than the car,
(c) a lorry increasing
in speed from rest.
time
 Question 2
Describe the motion of the three lorries X, Y
and Z shown in the graph below.
Lorry X:
Moving quickest
speed = 45000m / 1800s = 25 m/s

Lorry Y:
speed = 36000m / 1800s = 20 m/s

Lorry Z:
Moving slowest
0 to 600s; speed = 10000m / 600s = 16.7 m/s
600 to 1200s; stationary
1200 to 1800s; speed = 16.7 m/s
average speed = 20000m / 1800s = 11.1 m/s
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Speed is equal to ________
distance divided by time and can be
measured in _________
metres per second.
A speed of 20 m/s is the same as ______
72 km/h which is
approximately equal to ______
40 mph.
slope
The _________ of a distance against time graph can be used
to calculate ________.
speed The greater the gradient of the line
higher
the __________ horizontal
is the speed. The line will be ___________
when the speed is zero.

WORD SELECTION:
slope speed distance horizontal
40 higher 72 metres
 Velocity
The velocity of a body is its
speed in a given direction.

The airplane opposite may

loop at a constant speed but
its velocity changes as its
direction of motion changes.
 Question
A stone dropped off the top of a cliff falls down by 20m in 2s. Calculate its average velocity (a) downwards and (b) horizontally.

(a) average speed downwards = 20m / 2s

= 10m/s
Therefore velocity downwards = 10 m/s
(b) average speed horizontally = 0m / 2s
= 0m/s
Therefore velocity horizontally = 0 m/s
 Acceleration
acceleration = velocity change
time taken

a = (v – u) / t

a = acceleration in metres per second squared (m/s2)

v = final velocity in m/s
u = initial velocity in m/s
t = time taken in seconds (s)
Why is acceleration measured in m/s2 ?

acceleration = velocity change

time taken

velocity change is measured in m/s

time taken is measured in s
therefore acceleration = m/s ÷ s
= m/s2
Other notes:
1. Speed and velocity:
Often, but not always, speed can be used in the equation.

2. Change in velocity:
= final velocity – initial velocity
=v-u

3. Deceleration:
This is where the speed is decreasing with time.

4. Circular motion at a constant speed:

Acceleration is occurring because the direction of motion is
continually changing and hence so is velocity.
 Question 1
Complete the table below for an airplane
accelerating at 8m/s2.

time (s) 0 1 2 3 4

velocity (m/s) 0 8 16 24 32
 Question 2
Calculate the acceleration of a car that changes in
velocity from 5m/s to 25m/s in 4 seconds.

a = (v – u) / t
= (25m/s – 5m/s) / 4s
= 20 / 4
acceleration = 5 m/s2
 Question 3
Calculate the final velocity of a train that
accelerates at 0.3m/s2 for 60 seconds from an
initial velocity of 5m/s.

a = (v – u) / t
becomes: (v – u) = a x t
= 0.3m/s2 x 60s
= 18m/s
therefore final train velocity = 5m/s + 18m/s
= 23 m/s
 Question 4
Calculate the deceleration of a car that slows down
from 18m/s to rest in 3 seconds.

a = (v – u) / t
= (0m/s – 18m/s) / 3s
= -18 / 3 (notice minus sign)
acceleration = - 6 m/s2
and so deceleration = 6 m/s2
Note: Deceleration is the negative of
acceleration.
 Complete
Answers
Velocity (m/s) Time Acceleration
Initial (u) Final (v) (s) (m/s2)

45
0 45 15 3
3
0 24 3 8
30
30 90 10 6
20 5 3 -- 5
5
0 - -60
60 20 -3
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Velocity is speed measured in a particular ______________.
direction

zero
A person walking northwards will have _______ velocity in a
westwards direction.
Acceleration is equal to ________
velocity change divided by the time
taken. Acceleration is measured in metres per second ______.
squared

Deceleration occurs when a body is _________

slowing down. It is
possible for a body to be accelerating even when its ______
speed is
not changing provided its direction is, for example: a body
circle
moving in a ________.

WORD SELECTION:
speed zero slowing direction squared circle velocity
 Velocity-time graphs

n
The slope of a

tio
ra
velocity-time graph

velocity

ele
ion
represents t

cc
lera
e

ha
acceleration. acc
w

hig
lo

constant velocity
or zero acceleration
decel
eratio
n

time
The area under a
velocity-time graph

velocity
represents
distance travelled.

area equals
distance
travelled

time
 Question 1
Sketch the velocity time velocity (m/s)
graph of a car
accelerating from rest to 15
15m/s in 3 seconds and
then remaining at a 10
constant speed for one
more second.
5

1 2 3 4
time (s)
 Question 2
Calculate the acceleration and the velocity (m/s)
distance travelled after 4 seconds
from using the graph opposite.
12
acceleration = gradient
= y-step ÷ x-step
8
= (12 - 0)m/s ÷ (4 – 0)s
= 12 / 4 4
acceleration = 3 m/s2 area

distance = area under the graph

= area of triangle 1 2 3 4
= ½ x base x height time (s)
= ½ x 4s x 12m/s
distance travelled = 24m
 Question 3
Calculate the acceleration and distance travelled
using the graph shown below.
Acceleration:
Acceleration equals the slope of the graph
= y-step ÷ x-step
= (16 - 4)m/s ÷ (10s)
= 12 / 10
Acceleration = 1.2 m/s2

Distance travelled:
This equals the area below the graph
= area of rectangle + area of triangle
= (10s x 4m/s) + (½ x 10s x (12 – 4)m/s)
= 40m + 40m
Distance travelled = 80m
 Question 4
Calculate the distance travelled over 15 seconds and the
deceleration during the final five seconds using the graph below.
Distance travelled:
This equals the area below the graph
= area of rectangle + area of triangle
= (10s x 20m/s) + (½ x 5s x 20m/s)
= 200m + 50m
Distance travelled = 250m

Deceleration:
Acceleration equals the slope of the graph
= y-step ÷ x-step
= (- 20m/s) ÷ (5s)
= - 4 m/s2
but deceleration = negative of acceleration
Deceleration = 4 m/s2
 Online Simulations
The Moving Man - PhET - Learn about position, Motion with constant acceleration - Fendt
velocity, and acceleration graphs. Move the little Bouncing ball with motion graphs - netfirms
man back and forth with the mouse and plot his Displacement-time graph with set velocities -
motion. Set the position, velocity, or acceleration NTNU
and let the simulation move the man for you.
Maze Game - PhET - Learn about position, Displacement & Aceleration-time graphs with set
velocities
velocity, and acceleration in the "Arena of Pain". - NTNU
Use the green arrow to move the ball. Add more
walls to the arena to make the game more Displacement & Velocity-time graphs with set ac
celerations
difficult. Try to make a goal as fast as you can. - NTNU
Motion in 2D - PhET - Learn about velocity and Football distance-time graphs - eChalk
acceleration vectors. Move the ball with the
mouse or let the simulation move the ball in four Motion graphs with tiger - NTNU
types of motion (2 types of linear, simple Two dogs running with graphs - NTNU
harmonic, circle). See the velocity and Motion graphs test - NTNU
acceleration vectors change as the ball moves. BBC AQA GCSE Bitesize Revision:
Ladybug motion in 2D - PhET - Learn about Speed, distance and time
position, velocity and acceleration vectors. Move
the ladybug by setting the position, velocity or Distance-time graphs
acceleration, and see how the vectors change. Velocity-time graphs
Choose linear, circular or elliptical motion, and Acceleration
record and playback the motion to analyze the Distance-time graphs (higher)
behavior
Velocity-time graphs (higher)
 Movement and Position
Notes questions
1. Give the equation for average speed and state its unit.
2. Copy figureand explain how the speed of the car can be calculated
from this graph.
3. Give the equation for acceleration in both words and symbol form.
State the unit of acceleration and the meaning of the symbols in the
symbol version of the equation.
4. Explain how a velocity-time graph can be used to find acceleration
and distance travelled.
5. Explain the difference between speed and velocity.
6. Copy figure and use it to calculate the acceleration and the distance
travelled by the ball.
7. Verify that you can do all of the items listed.