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Lesson 9: D-T & V-T Graphs

This document discusses how to interpret and construct displacement-time (d-t) graphs and velocity-time (v-t) graphs. It explains that d-t graphs show an object's position over time, while v-t graphs show velocity over time. Key features of graphs like slopes, curves and areas are related to concepts like velocity, acceleration and displacement.

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majji satish
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69 views5 pages

Lesson 9: D-T & V-T Graphs

This document discusses how to interpret and construct displacement-time (d-t) graphs and velocity-time (v-t) graphs. It explains that d-t graphs show an object's position over time, while v-t graphs show velocity over time. Key features of graphs like slopes, curves and areas are related to concepts like velocity, acceleration and displacement.

Uploaded by

majji satish
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 9: d-t & v-t Graphs

Graphing the motion of objects gives us a way to interpret the motion that would otherwise be difficult.
Graphs will also allow you to show a large amount of information in a compact way.
Essentially you need to be able to sketch and interpret two main kinds of graphs in kinematics:
1. Displacement Time Graphs
Sometimes called d-t graphs, or position time graphs.
2. Velocity Time Graphs
Sometimes called v-t graphs.

Displacement - Time (d-t) Graphs


This type of graph is based on the most basic things we need to know about the motion of an object
(position and time).
Typically you will be given a table of values that show the displacement of the object over a
particular period of time.
If the graph shows complex motion (such as Illustration 1 below), you do not just draw a
single best fit line. Instead, you need to look at each section of motion and determine what kind
of line best fits the data.
Don't worry too much about sketching these complex situations... it is much more likely
that you will draw an object moving in one way only.
For the example graph shown below, imagine that you are running in a marathon, and we have
decided to graph your movement.

Illustration 1: d-t graph of a person running a marathon.


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Now lets look at a description of the person's movement in each of the major sections.

Zero to 90s
Look at how you are running in those first 90 seconds.
Every 30 seconds you have moved about another
150m away from the starting point you must be
The slope of a d-t graph always equals
moving at a constant positive velocity!
the velocity of the object at that time.
A constant positive velocity is shown on a d-t graph
as a straight line that slopes upwards. It is a linear
relationship.
In fact, if you found the slope of the line in this section, it will be the velocity that you
were running at.
rise d
slope=
= =v
run t

90s to 150s
Yikes! You ran too fast at the start and now youre out of
breath!
During this time period, your position on the graph
has stayed the same450m.
This just means that you are standing in the same
spot, exactly 450m away from where you started.
A flat horizontal line means you are stopped.

The slope of the line is the velocity, and


the slope of a flat line is zero. So, the
velocity is zero.

150s to 240s
You must have started running forward again, since a positively sloped line means a positive velocity.
Notice that this section of line is a little steeper than the first section. You are now running
about 200m every 30s.
A steeper line (which has a bigger slope) means that you are moving at a faster constant
velocity.

240s to 300s
In this section the line slopes down, which means it has a negative slope.
Since slope is equal to velocity, this must mean that you are running backwards.
A negative slope means a constant negative velocity.
You must have forgotten to pass a check point, so you ran back to it.

300s to 360s
Again, we have a horizontal line. You must be stopped.

360s to 510s
You know that you have only one chance to still win the race run as fast as you can!
During this time period, the line curves upwards.
The line becomes steeper and steeper as it continues. This means that the slope of the line is
getting bigger and bigger.
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Since slope is related to velocity, your velocity must be increasing. You are
accelerating!
A curved line on a d-t graph means
A curved line on a d-t graph means
acceleration is happening.
acceleration.

Heres how you can remember if it was positive or negative acceleration on a d-t graph.

t
Illustration 2: Happy
Clown

Illustration 3: Unhappy
Clown

If you see any part of the happy clown's face on a graph, it is positive acceleration.
If you see any part of the sad clown's face, it is negative acceleration.

Velocity-Time (v-t) Graphs


You need to remember that the rules you learned above for d-t graphs do not apply to v-t graphs.
A common mistake by Physics 20 students is when they assume that all types of graphs work
the exact same way.
The graphs can be related to each other, but that doesnt mean you look at them the same way.
The following v-t graph is based on the same data as we used for the d-t graph, but we will need
to look at whats different.

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Illustration 4: v-t graph of the same person running.

Zero to 90s
Remember that in the first 90 seconds you were running at a
positive constant velocity.
On this graph we see a horizontal line that reads
5m/s for those same first 90 seconds.
On a v-t graph a flat line means constant velocity.

A flat line on a v-t graph means constant


velocity.

90s to 150s
This is the section of time when you stopped because you were out of breath.
Notice that "stopped" is shown by a horizontal line at exactly 0m/s.
It's a flat line which means constant velocity. It just so happens that your constant velocity is
0 m/s.

150 to 240 seconds


You are running forward again.
To show a faster velocity than earlier, we have a flat line that is higher than the previous one.

240 to 300 seconds


This is when you are running back to the check point.
You are running at -3.3m/s.
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A negative velocity is shown as a negative slope.

300 to 360 seconds


Again, we have a horizontal line at zero. You must be stopped.

360 to 510 seconds


This is the section in which we already figured out you must be accelerating; you run faster and faster.
On a d-t graph the line curves upwards, but not on a v-t graph.
On a v-t graph the line is straight and has a positive slope.
A straight sloped line on a v-t graph means acceleration.
A slope on a v-t graph means
The slope of the line is equal to the acceleration; a
positive slope is a positive acceleration, and a negative acceleration. The slope of the line is
equal to the acceleration.
slope is a negative acceleration.
slope=

rise v
=
=a
run
t

There is one other trick you need to know about v-t graphs.
If you multiply velocity by time, what do you get? According to our formula...
v=

d
t

manipulated to

d=vt

..displacement!
So, if I have a v-t graph and I calculate the area under the line
(which means Im calculating velocity multiplied by time), I
will know the object's displacement.

The area under the line of a v-t


graph is the displacement of the
object.

Homework
p.15 #1
p.20 #3, 6, 10
p.27 # 1, 2
p.45 #11,16,17

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