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!