Position – time (distance-time) graphs

Obj: Present the movement of an object using graphs

 A distance-time graph shows how far an object has travelled in a

given time. It is a simple line graph that denotes distance versus
time findings on the graph.

 Distance is plotted on the Y-axis.

 Time is plotted on the X-axis.

 Note: Curved lines on a distance-time graph indicate that the speed

is changing.
Position – time (distance-time)
graphs
Obj: Present the movement of an
object using graphs
Consider the following facts to be able to present the movement of an
object using graph
Obj: Interpret the distance-time graph

In position-time graph we can read:

1- Speed = Slope of the line

2- Time duration of the journey.

3- Distance (displacement)

4- Compare speeds (The steeper the line the more speed it has)

5- Constant or variable speed

Using graphs to summarise
motion
D Distances measured in one direction are ________, and in the other are _______
1.
2. The _______ of an object is its ______ and the ________ of motion.
3. The velocity of an object moving in a straight line is ________ if it is moving in
one direction and ________ if it is moving in the opposite direction.

C v c speed
4. Sketch a velocity-time graph for an object that is:
a) stationary b negative
b) moving in a straight line with constant speed
a t direction
c) moving in a straight line with steadily increasing
d positive
b
5. Sketch a distance-time graph for an object that is:
a velocit
a) stationary
y
b) moving at constant speed c negative
A/B t
distance /m
positiv
c) moving with increasing speed 200 A e
A – steeper slope / gradient
100 B
6. Using the graph to the right
Speed = gradient = (100-0) = 100 = 5 m/s
a) which is moving faster, A or B?
(20-0) 20 10 20 time/s
A distance-time graph plots the distance an object
travels against the time it takes it to travel.

220 Ex The following distance-

200 Speed 1 time graph shows a
Distance along road

180 220m 10s

160
car’s journey.
Heig [a] How far did the car
[d]
140
(metres)

120 100
ht 60m
travel in the first 3
100 m [b] seconds?
For how long was2 the
80 Widt Speed car stationary?
second
60 100m 2s
h s
40 2s [c] What was the car’s
20 greatest speed? 50
0 Time m/s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(seconds)
What was the car’s
average speed for the
whole journey?22m/
Ex2The graph shows a cyclist’s 40
journey, from home, to the next
Solut

Distance from home

ion

big city and back.

30 Speed
[a] How long1inhour
total30
was the
1.5 20mi 1h Heig Speed
cyclist stationary during

(miles)
minutes hours ht 35mi 2.5h
his 20 20mi
[b] How far did Heig
journey? 70 the cyclist travel ht
in total? Widt
35mi
[c] What wasmiles
the cyclist’s
14 speed 10 h
1h Widt
on the way home? mph greatest h
[d] What was the cyclist’s 2.5h
speed? 20 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
mph Time
(hours)
 Q1 A train travels from Goldenrod City to Saffron City. The train leaves at 09:15 and
stops at Route 32 along the way. The distance-time graph below shows the
Solut
ion

train’s
[a] Whatjourney.
is the distance between 200
Goldenrod City and110 Route 32?
miles

Distance travelled
[b] How long did the train stay at Route 150
32?30 minutes
[c] What speed did the train travel

(miles)
between Route 32 and Saffron 100
City? 120 mph
[d] How far did the train travel in total? 50
200 miles
[e] What was the train’s average speed
0
for the entire journey? 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
80 mph Time
Q2 Callum cycles from his home to the
supermarket and back.
The following distance-time graph describes his
journey.
Solut
ion

[a] How long did it take Callum to get to 5

the supermarket?

Distance from home

30 minutes
4
[b] How long did Callum spend
in the supermarket?
45 minutes 3

(miles)
[c] What was Callum’s speed on
his journey home?
10.8 mph 2

[d] What was the total distance

9 1
Callum travelled?
miles
[e] How long was Callum away 0
11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30
from his home for?
1 hour 40 Time
minutes
 Q3 Paul travels to his parents’ house and then returns
home.
The distance-time graph shows information about
Solut

Paul’s journey.
ion

[a] What time did Paul start his journey? 8

12:4

Distance from home

0
Paul stops at a shop along the way. 6
[b] For how long was Paul at the
10
shop?

(miles)
minutes 4
[c] How far do Paul’s parents live from
3
the shop?
miles
[d] Work out the total distance Paul 2
14
travelled.
miles
[e] Work out Paul’s average speed on
21
his journey home. 0
mph 12:30 13:30 14:30
Time
 A remote control car travels in a straight line.
Q4 The following graph describes its distance
travelled over time.
Solut
ion

[a] What is the total distance travelled 20

20
by the car?
metres 16

Distance travelled
[b] How far had the car
10 0.5 B
travelled after 8 seconds?
metres 12 m/s 3.5

(metres)
[c] What was the car’s overall average
1.4 m/s
C m/s
speed?
(1dp) 8
[d] For how long was the car A
1
travelling a speed of
A second 3m/s?
4
[e] What is the difference
between the car’s fastest and 0
B speeds?C Difference 3 0 5
slowest Time 10 15
m/s
(seconds)
 Five distance-time graphs are Distanc Graph A Distanc Graph B
shown. e e
Each box below describes one from from
home home
Q5 graph.
Write the letter of the correct
Solut

Time Time
ion

graph next to its description.

Distanc Graph C
1 Khalid walked home 2 Natalie walked e
slowly from his steadily to the from
E friend’s house. C park. home Distanc Graph E
e
3 Sophie walked to 5 Michael went Time from
D school, stopped to look B out with his home
at her watch, realised friends, realised
Distanc Graph D
she was late and then he had left his e
Time
started running. wallet at home. from
He ran home to home
4 David walked to his get it and then
local gym. Stayed there ran again to Time
A for a workout and then catch up with
ran home. his friends.
 The graph shows part of
Ex3
Matthew’s journey to the gym and 12
Solut

back.

Distance from home

ion

[a] Find Matthew’s speed on his 10

9.6
way to the gym.
km/h 8
Matthew stayed at the gym for 75 Heig

(km)
minutes before travelling home at 6 ht
12km
16 km/h.
4 Speed
[b] Complete the distance-time 12km
graph. 1.25h
2 Width
1h15
Distanc m
Speed Time 0
e 0 1 2
Time 3
16 km/h 12 km 45mins (hours)
Time
0.75 hours
12km 16km/h
 Lucy leaves home at 08:00.
She walks at a speed of 4mph for 15 Distance
Ex4 8mphDistance
minutes before immediately running at 8 4mph
Solut

0.75h 6mi
1mi

Distance from home

ion

8mph for a further 45 minutes. 0.25h

She then stops for half an hour.
6
Lucy then sets off home and arrives at Speed
10:45. 7km

(miles)
Heig 1.25h
4
[a] Draw the distance-time graph ht
7km
for Lucy’s journey.
2
[b] What was Lucy’s average Width
5.6mp 1h15
speed on her way home?
h 0
08:0 09:0 m
Time10:00 11:00
0 0
(hours)
 Steve leaves home at 11:15am.
He drives at an average speed of
Q6 60mph for 45 minutes. He then stops
60
for 45 minutes.
Solut

Distance from home

ion

Steve then sets off home and arrives

at 14:00.
40
[a] Draw the distance-time graph

(miles)
for Steve’s journey.
[b] What was Steve’s average speed
36mp 20
on his way home?
h
[c] How far did Steve travel in total?
90
miles 0
11:0 12:0
Time13:00 14:00
0 0
(hours)
 Distance from shore (nautical
Q7 A fishing vessel travels a distance of 6
12
nautical miles at a speed of 8 knots. It
Solut
ion

then anchors for one hour, before 10

travelling a further 5 nautical miles, in
45 minutes, to the next fishing 8

miles)
ground. It anchors for 30 minutes 6
before sailing 1 hour back to port.
1 knot
[a] Draw1the
nautical mile per
distance-time hour.
graph 4
for the fishing vessel. 2
[b] What was the vessel’s average
speed for the entire5.5
journey? 0
0 1 2
Time 3 4
knots
(hours)
 Alan leaves home at 10:15.
Q8 He drives at an average speed of

Distance from home (miles)

40mph for 2½ hours. He then stops 120
Solut
ion

for 45 minutes. 100

Alan then sets off home, travelling at
30mph for 1 hour, before speeding 80
up to 56mph for the rest of the
60
journey.
[a] Draw the distance-time graph
for Alan’s journey. 40
[b] What time did Alan arrive home? 20
15:4
5 0
10:0 12:0
Time 14:00 16:00
0 0
(hours)