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What does a distance/time graph tell you?
How far something has travelled
What do the different parts of a distance/time graph describe?
The motion of an object
What does a gradient (slope) ay any point on a distance time graph represent?
The speed of the object
What does a flat section (straight line) on a distance time graph represent?
Where the object has stopped
What does a steeper graph represent?
The object is going faster
What does a curve on a distance/time graph represent?
Acceleration
What does a curve getting steeper on a distance/time graph represent?
The object is speeding up (increasing gradient)
What does a levelling off curve on a distance/time graph represent?
The object is slowing down (decreasing gradient)
How do you find the speed of an object from a straight distance/time graph?
Find the gradient; speed = gradient = change in vertical/change in horizontal
How do you find the speed of an object from a curved distance/time graph?
Draw a tangent (a line parallel to the curve at that point), then find the gradient of the tangent
How do you calculate the average speed of an object when it has non-constant motion?
By dividing the total distance travelled by the time it takes to travel that distance
