

The graph of displacement versus time in Figure 3(a) is a curve rather than a straight line.

(c) Acceleration has the constant value of 5.0 m/s 2 over the time interval plotted. t graph is constant for this part of the motion, indicating constant acceleration. Instantaneous velocity at any point is the slope of the tangent at that point. This is shown at two points, and the instantaneous velocities obtained are plotted in the next graph. Graphs of motion of a jet-powered car during the time span when its acceleration is constant. Time starts at zero for this motion (as if measured with a stopwatch), and the displacement and velocity are initially 200 m and 15 m/s, respectively. The graphs in Figure 3 below represent the motion of the jet-powered car as it accelerates toward its top speed, but only during the time when its acceleration is constant. Graphs of Motion when α is constant but α≠0 Substituting these symbols into y = mx + b gives \boldsymbol and the intercept is displacement at time zero-that is, x 0. If we call the horizontal axis the x-axis and the vertical axis the y-axis, as in Figure 1, a straight-line graph has the general form When two physical quantities are plotted against one another in such a graph, the horizontal axis is usually considered to be an independent variable and the vertical axis a dependent variable.

Slopes and General Relationshipsįirst note that graphs in this text have perpendicular axes, one horizontal and the other vertical. This section uses graphs of displacement, velocity, and acceleration versus time to illustrate one-dimensional kinematics. Graphs not only contain numerical information they also reveal relationships between physical quantities. time.Ī graph, like a picture, is worth a thousand words.
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You can also download for free at For questions regarding this license, please contact If you use this textbook as a bibliographic reference, then you should cite it as follows: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. If we call the horizontal axis the x size 12

This section uses graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration versus time to illustrate one-dimensional kinematics.
