Distance vs. Time Graphs Review

Distance vs. Time Graphs

Contant Speed

Acceleration (Speeding Up)

Deceleration (Slowing Down) to a Stop

Stop-and-Go

Deceleration

Stopped (5-10 seconds)

Deceleration (Slowing Down) (0-5 seconds)

This graph shows slowing down because the line starts steep but curves to become less steep as time goes on. This means the object is traveling less distance each second. At the end, the line is flat, which shows the object has completely stopped.

Stop-and-Go

Flat lines show when the object stopped.

This is a stop-and-go graph because the line is not smooth or constant. At some points, like between 1 and 3 seconds or 4 and 6 seconds, the line is flat, meaning the object is not moving—it has stopped. At other times, like between 3 and 4 seconds or 6 and 7 seconds, the line goes up, showing the object is moving again.

Distance vs. Time Graphs

Acceleration (Speeding Up) (5 - 8 seconds)

Stopped (3-5 seconds)

The object traveled 20 meters over 12 seconds

Constant Speed (0-3 seconds)

Deceleration (Slowing Down) (8-12 seconds)

A distance vs. time graph shows how far an object travels over time. The x-axis represents time, and the y-axis represents distance. By analyzing the graph, you can see an object’s speed, whether it’s moving at a constant speed, stopped, or changing speed. The steeper the line, the faster the object is moving.

Contant Speed

This graph shows constant speed because the line is straight and has the same slope all the way through. The distance increases evenly over time, which means the object is traveling the same amount of distance every second without speeding up or slowing down.

Acceleration

This graph shows acceleration (speeding up) because the line curves upward and gets steeper, meaning the object is going farther each second as its speed increases.