Key Notes:

Purpose of Graphical Representation:

• Visualize the motion of an object over time.
• Analyze motion parameters like speed, velocity, acceleration, and displacement.

Types of Motion Graphs:

Distance-Time Graph:

Represents how distance changes with time.

Key Features:

• A straight line indicates uniform motion.
• A curved line indicates non-uniform motion.
• A horizontal line represents the object at rest.

Velocity-Time Graph:

Depicts changes in velocity over time.

Key Features:

• A straight horizontal line indicates constant velocity.
• A sloping line indicates uniform acceleration or deceleration.
• The area under the graph gives the displacement.

Acceleration-Time Graph:

Shows how acceleration changes over time.

Key Features:

• A horizontal line indicates constant acceleration.
• A sloping line indicates changing acceleration.

Importance of the Slope:

Distance-Time Graph:

• Slope = Speed.
• Steeper slope indicates higher speed.

Velocity-Time Graph:

• Slope = Acceleration.
• Positive slope indicates acceleration; negative slope indicates deceleration.

Interpreting the Area Under the Curve:

Velocity-Time Graph:

• Area = Displacement.

Acceleration-Time Graph:

• Area = Change in velocity.

Applications of Motion Graphs:

• Predicting the future position of an object.
• Calculating motion parameters like speed, acceleration, and displacement.
• Understanding real-life motion scenarios (e.g., vehicles, projectiles).

Common Examples:

• Free-falling objects.
• Vehicles accelerating or decelerating.
• Objects moving with uniform velocity.

Graph Drawing Tips:

• Use proper scales and label axes correctly.
• Represent time on the x-axis and motion parameters (distance, velocity, acceleration) on the y-axis.
• Ensure consistency in units.

Let’s practice!