6. Displacement-Time Graphs Flashcards
What quantity goes on the x-axis of a displacement-time graph?
Time (s)
What quantity goes on the y-axis of a displacement-time graph?
Displacement (m)
What does the gradient show on a displacement-time graph?
The velocity
What does the displacement-time graph show for an object that is accelerating constantly?
A curve
What happens to the rate of change of the gradient for an object accelerating a uniform rate?
It is constant
How is deceleration on a displacement-time graph shown?
A curve with a decreasing gradient
What happens to the gradient of the curve for a bigger acceleration?
The gradient is larger and the curve looks steeper
What happens to the gradient of the curve for a smaller acceleration?
The gradient is smaller and the curve looks gentler
What happens when a displacement-time graph shows a straight diagonal line?
The object is moving at a constant velocity
Define the term instantaneous velocity
The velocity at a particular moment in time
How do you find the instantaneous velocity of an object at a certain point on a curved graph?
Draw a tangent to the curve at that point and find the gradient of the tangent
How do you find the average velocity of an object on a displacement-time graph?
- Find the total change in displacement
- Find the total change in time
- Divide the displacement by the time
