Velocity - Time
Graphs
Velocity-time graphs
Velocity-time graphs can describe the
motion of an object. They depict time (t)
on the x-axis and velocity (v) on the y-
axis.
Constant
Velocity
Acceleration is the change in velocity
over a specific amount of time. It has an
SI unit of m/s2.
Let us say that a car moves at a constant
velocity. This implies that the car
has zero acceleration because there is no
change in the velocity over time. It is
depicted as a horizontal line in the
velocity-time graph.
Changing
Velocity
Now, let us consider an object
moving with a changing velocity.
If the velocity increases, then we
have a positive value of
acceleration, and the object speeds
up.
The diagram below depicts positive
acceleration in a velocity-time graph.
On the other hand, if the change in the
velocity is negative, then the object is
slowing down. An example of a resulting
graph is shown below.
Importance of a Slope
The notion of a slope is important in
calculating the acceleration from a
velocity–time graph.
In a velocity-time graph, if the acceleration
is zero, then the slope is also zero, which is
depicted as a horizontal line. When the
acceleration is positive, then the slope is
also positive, which is depicted as an upward
sloping line. Finally, when the acceleration
is negative, then the slope is also negative,
which is depicted as a downward sloping
line.
The figure below shows an object that
is moving with a negative velocity
indicated by its position along the
negative part of the y-axis and
increasingly negative acceleration
indicated by the decreasing slope of the
graph.
Ifthe line of the velocity-time graph is
located in the negative region of the graph,
which means that the object is moving in a
reverse direction along its path.
Instantaneous Acceleration
Beyond average acceleration, we can also
calculate the instantaneous acceleration by
taking the slope of a tangent to the velocity-
time curve at a given time. In mathematical
terms:
a
instantaneous =
Instantaneous acceleration is always considered a
constant value for this purpose.
Inthe figure above, we can see an example of how to
determine the instantaneous acceleration at t = 16 s.
When we draw the tangent line to the curve at this
time point (16 s), we will find two points on the
tangent line and use them to calculate its slope:
Displacement of an Object
A velocity–time graph can also reveal
the displacement of the object that is in
motion. The total displacement is the
average velocity multiplied by the length of
time that the average velocity has
sustained. Mathematically, this is:
d=va x vet
In a graph, the total
displacement of the
moving object is the
same as the area
between the curve or
line and the x-axis. A
typical example is
shown in the figure.
Here we can see that the object has an
increasing velocity as time passes. The
average velocity of the object over the
five seconds in the graph is 25 m/s [(50
m/s - 0 m/sec)/2 = 25 m/s ].
Multiplying the average velocity by the
time measured (5 s) yields a total
displacement of 125 m.
A velocity-time graph may have other
shapes such as curves or trapezoids,
depending on the object's changes in
velocity, but in all situations, the area
under the line (or over it if the velocity
is negative) indicates the total
displacement.
Key Point
Velocity-time graphs can describe
the motion of an object.
Question 1
An object is moving according to the
velocity-time graph depicted in the figure
below. Which of the following sentences is
true?
A. The object is moving with a constant
velocity.
B. The object is slowing down.
C. The object is speeding up.
D. The object is moving with a non-constant
acceleration.
Question 2
Which of the following is the unit for
acceleration?
Select your answer.
A. m/s
B. m/s2
C. m
D. s
Question 3
An object is moving according to the velocity-
time graph depicted in the figure. What is the
average acceleration of the object from 10 < t <
15?
A. -8 m/s2
B. 4 m/s2
C. 8 m/s2
D. -4 m/s2
Question 4
An object is moving according to the velocity-
time graph depicted in the figure. What is the
total average acceleration of the object?
A. m/s2
B. -4 m/s2
C. 4 m/s2
D. - m/s2
Question 5
An object is moving according to the velocity-time graph
depicted in the figure. This object was initially thrown up
into the air and stops moving within 6 s. Which of the
following sentences is correct?
A. The acceleration is constant and negative.
B. The acceleration is constant and positive.
C. The velocity is zero at t = 6s.
D. The acceleration is zero at t = 3s.
Question 6
An object is moving according to the velocity-
time graph depicted in the figure. What is the
total displacement of the object?
A. -14 m
B. 7.5 m
C. 14 m
D. -7.5 m
Question 7
The figure shows a velocity-time graph
for an object in motion. What is the total
distance covered by that object?
A. 15 m
B. 50 m
C. 150 m
D. 500 m
Question 8
In which part of the graph the average
acceleration is equal to -10 m/s2?
A. time interval between 5 and 15 s
B. time interval between 10 and 15 s
C. time interval between 5 and 10 s
D. time interval between 0 and 15 s
