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Read this passage and answer these questions

Motion Plots 

When physicists want detailed information about an object's movement, they gather data about it every second or millisecond. Sometimes, they gather the displacement (distance and direction from a starting point) at each moment in time, and other times, it is more useful to record the object's velocity.     

  The data collected is then transformed into a visual representation, with the independent variable, time, on the x-axis and either the object's distance and direction or its velocity on the vertical axis. This plot, a snapshot of the object's motion, is a powerful tool that brings abstract concepts to life. But the real magic lies in the slope of a motion plot, which holds even more information, waiting to be deciphered.      

     Here's how it works. You'll probably remember that the slope of any plot is ΔY/ΔX. Therefore, the slope of a displacement vs time plot at any given time would tell you about the object's velocity (Δd/Δt) during the interval you are concerned with. On the other hand, the slope of a velocity vs time plot during a time interval would reveal the object's acceleration. This is because acceleration is ΔV/Δt.

 

 

Video Instruction

showmethephysics.com

 

Enduring Understanding

 

1. The slope of a distance or position vs time plot tells allows us to calculate the speed of an object.

 

Fill in the Blank Notes

 

2nd way to describe motion

B) Motion Plots

(A. K. A.  Motion Diagrams)

 

Position Vs Time Plot

Movement in a Straight line

Position
(m)
Time
(sec)
  0
  2
  4
  6
  8

 

 

Position
(m)
Time
(sec)
0 0
5 2
10 4
15 6
18.3 8

 

Motion Map

 

 

5m in 2 sec/5m in 2 sec/5m in 2 sec/3.3 m in 2 sec

 

 

 

Speed from 0 to 2 seconds?

Speed = Δd/Δt

 

= 5 m/2 sec

 

= 2.5 m/s

 

 

 

 

 

Speed from 2 to 4 seconds?

 

Speed = Dd/Dt

 

= 5.0 m/2.0 sec

 

= 2.5 m/s

 

 

 

 

Speed from 4 to 6 seconds?

 

Speed = Δd/Δt

 

= 5.0 m/2.0 sec

 

= 2.5 m/s

 

 

 

 

 

Does the object travel faster

or slower from 6 to 8 seconds?

 

 

Slower Speed
(smaller change in d
during same time)

 

 

 

Compare speed from 6 to 8 sec
with speed from 8 to 9 sec

 

 

Same Speed, Same Slope

 

 

 

What kind of motion
 produced this plot?

 

 

Increasing Speed

 

Motion Map

 

 

• Equations


 


Speed

 

 

 

 

 


 

Velocity

(speed and direction)

 


Direction

 

 

 

 

 

 

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