Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________________

Grade/Section: _____________________ Score: _____________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS IN SCIENCE 7

Quarter 3: Week 3

Most Essential Learning Competency:

✓ Create and interpret visual representation of the motion of objects such as tape charts and
motion graphs. S7FE-IIIb-3

Visualizing Motion Using Tape Charts and Motion Graphs

Ticker - Tape Chart

A common way to analyze the motion of objects is through the use of a ticker tape diagram or simply
known as a tape chart which is produced by a ticker-tape timer. A ticker-tape timer records the time of
motion and distance traveled by a moving body. A paper tape is placed under a carbon disc beneath the
clapper of the timer. As the body moves, it pulls the paper tape with it. When the timer is switched on, the
clapper moves up and down regularly and strikes the carbon disc. Dots are then printed on the moving paper
tape beneath the carbon disc.

Figure 1. Ticker Tape Timer

The trace of the dots in the tape charts provides a history of the motion of an object; thus, it can
represent the motion of an object.

Figure 2. Tape charts

The distance between the dots on a tape chart represents the change of position of an object at a
time interval. A large distance between the dots means the object was moving fast during a time interval. On
the contrary, a small distance between the dots indicates that the object moved slowly during the time interval.

Figure 3. Tape chart with different dot distances

The dots on the tape chart shows the motion of an object with a constant velocity, deceleration, or
acceleration. The interpretation of the motion of an object depends on the distance between the dots during
a specific time interval. An equal distance between the dots indicates constant velocity or when an object is
moving at a constant speed, there is no acceleration. A gradual change of the distance between dots that
gets smaller means the object slows down which indicates that the object is decelerates. If the distance
between dots gradually gets longer, it means the object speeds up or accelerates.

Thus, the tape chart can represent various features of the motion of objects.

Figure 4. Interpretation of the different distances of dots

Activity 6 - DESCRIBE THAT MOTION!

Directions: Study each tape chart in Column A and match it to its corresponding motion description in
Column B assuming that all marbles start from rest. Write your answers in your Science activity notebook.

COLUMN A COLUMN B

A. The marble accelerates to the right.

______1. B. The marble moves to the right then stops for a

few seconds and finally, accelerates quickly to

______2. the right.

C. The marble decelerates to the left. Then, it

______3. stops for a few seconds and finally, moves

slowly to the left.

______4. D. The marble moves with a constant velocity to

the right.

______5. E. The marble decelerates to the left.

Displacement-Time Graph
Constant Velocity
When the distance and time data in Figure
5 were graphed, the resulting graph would look
like the graph in Figure 5 at the side.

The displacement (d) which is the

dependent variable is plotted against time (t), the
independent variable. Normally, the independent
variable is placed on the horizontal axis and the
dependent variable is placed along the vertical
axis.
The graph shows a linear relationship
between displacement and time. Let us get two
Figure 5. A displacement-time graph for a marble traveling at a constant speed
points from Figure 5: Point 1 (time1, displacement1) or P1(t1, d1) and Point2 (time2, displacement2)
or P2(t2, d2) on the line graph. Using these two points, the slope is defined as

From the graph,

The slope of a straight line is constant. Even if we choose two different pairs of points on the
same line, we shall obtain the same slope. The slope of the displacement-time graph represents
velocity and a straight-line graph indicates a constant velocity.
The sign of the slope tells the direction of the motion. A negative slope indicates that the
direction of the motion is opposite to that of the motion with a positive slope, that is, it is going to the
left. A zero slope shows that the body is not moving.

Figure 6. Three different types of slope of motion:

(a) Constant velocity, (b) Constant velocity but in opposite direction, and (c) At rest

The slope of the graph also determines how fast or slow the motion is. Look at the different graphs
in Figure 7 on the next page. Both graphs in Figure 7 represent a positive (rightward) and constant
velocity. However, the slope of the graph in Figure 7a is steeper than that in Figure 7b. This steeper
slope indicates a faster velocity. Thus, the velocity of the object represented by the graph on the left(a)
is faster than the velocity of the object represented by the graph in the right(b).

Figure 7. Graphs with different slopes: a) steeper slope, and b) less steep slope
Changing Velocity
Situation 1: Positive Changing Velocity
Figure 8 below shows that an object has a positive, changing velocity.

Figure 8. Marble Rolling with Changing Velocity

If the displacement and time data in Figure 12 were graphed, the resulting graph is shown in Figure 9:

Figure 9. Displacement-Time graph of a Positive Changing Velocity

Situation 2: Negative Changing Velocity

Figure 10 below shows that an object has a negative, changing velocity.

Figure 10. A Marble Rolling with Changing Velocity to the Left

Notice that the resulting graph of Figure 10 is also a curved line but opposite in direction to the
graph of Figure 11. However, both figures have a curved line graph. Curved lines have changing slope
which indicates that the displacement increases faster than the time of travel. Thus, the curved line of a
changing slope is an indication of changing velocity or accelerated motion.

Figure 11. Displacement-Time

graph of a Negative Changing
Velocity
Velocity – Time Graph
A tape chart can also be converted into a velocity-time graph. Just like the slope of a
displacement-time graph, the slope of a velocity-time graph is very important in describing the motion of
an object.

Situation 1: Zero Acceleration

Consider the car moving with a constant velocity of 10m/s. An object moving with a constant
velocity has zero acceleration. If the velocity and time data of the car were graphed, the resulting graph
is shown below.

Figure 12. Velocity-time graph of an object moving at constant velocity

Thus, an object moving with a constant velocity or no acceleration will have a horizontal, zero-
sloped line velocity-time graph.

Situation 2: Positive Acceleration

Consider another car moving with a positive, changing velocity – that is a car moving to the right
and is speeding up or accelerating. If the velocity and time were graphed, the resulting graph is shown
below:

Figure 13. Car Moving with a Positive Acceleration

Remember that the motion described in the figure is a changing, positive velocity which resulted
in a sloped line when plotted as a velocity-time graph. Note that the slope of the line is positive which
corresponds to the positive acceleration and the line lies in the positive region just above the x-axis.

Figure 14. Velocity-Time Graph of an Accelerating Object

Situation 3: Negative Acceleration

Figure 15. A Marble Accelerating to the Left

The ball at this time is rolling with a changing, negative acceleration.

The following figures will differentiate the graphs of objects which are accelerating or decelerating in
a positive and negative direction:

Figure 16. Types of velocity-time graph

Activity 7 – COMPLETE ME!

Directions: Complete the statements by writing the appropriate word/s in the blank. Choose your answer
from the word box below.
accelerating constant decelerating
negative positive slope
slower speed zero
velocity faster displacement
A gradual change of the distance between dots in the ticker tape that gets smaller means the object
is slowing down which indicates that the object’s motion is (1) _______________. If the distance between
dots gradually gets longer, it means the object is speeding up or (2) _______________.
A ticker-tape chart can be converted into a motion graph. On a displacement-time graph, the slope is equal
to the (3) _____________ of the object and the slope of a straight line is constant. Straight line denotes (4)
_______________ velocities while curved line has changing slopes which denote acceleration. A (5)
___________ slope indicates motion in the positive direction while a negative slope indicates motion in the
negative direction. A (6) ___________slopes imply a state of rest. The (7) __________ of the graph also
determines how fast or slow the motion is. A steeper slope indicates a (8) ___________velocity while smaller
slope indicates slower velocity.
Lastly, on a velocity-time graph, zero slopes indicate motion with (9) ___________ velocity, a positive
slope indicates an increase in velocity in the positive direction; and a (10) ____________ slope indicates an
increase in velocity in the negative direction.

Prepared by
CHERRY MAE R. MAMARIL
Subject Teacher

Source: Science Module 2

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________________
Grade/Section: _____________________ Score: _____________________

PERFORMANCE TASK NO. 1

YOU’RE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING!

Directions: Read the selection below. Follow the procedure and answer the questions.

Supposed that you were having your on-the-job training in a private investigating company. You were
asked to join a team assigned to investigate a ‘hit and run’ case. The alleged suspect was captured by the
CCTV camera driving down a road leading to the place of incident. The suspect denied the allegation, saying
that he was then driving very slowly at a constant speed. Because of the short time difference when he was
caught by the camera and when the accident happened, he insisted that it would be impossible that he would
already be at the place when the crime happened. But when you were viewing the scene again on the camera,
you noticed that his car was leaving oil spots on the road. When you checked these spots on the site, you
found out that they were still evident. So, you began to wonder if the spots can be used to investigate the
motion of the car of the suspect and check whether he was telling the truth or not.
Assume that the dots on the tape below represent the ‘oil drops’ left by the car down the road.

Figure 1. Tape Chart

Materials: ruler, bondpaper, pencil, graph paper, cutter or pair of scissors

Procedure:
A. Using Tape Chart
1. Trace the tape chart on a clean sheet of bondpaper.
2. Cut the traced chart into a strip.

3. Convert the tape chart into a velocity-time graph by cutting the strip of each drop and pasting them
side by side on a graphing paper.
4. Join the mid-points of the top of each tape with a line to form a velocity-time graph.

Questions:
Based on the arrangement of the oil drop, was the suspect telling the truth? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Rating Rubrics:
Knowledge/Understanding --------------15 points
Proof/Trace on the bond paper ----------5 points
TOTAL ----------------------------------------20 points