#tracker project

The acceleration-time graph of any object traveling with a constant velocity is the same. This is true regardless of the velocity of the object. An airplane flying at a constant 600 mph (270 m/s), a sloth walking with a constant speed 1 mph (0.4 m/s), and a couch potato lying motionless in front of the TV for hours will all have the same acceleration-time graphs — a horizontal line collinear with the horizontal axis. That's because the velocity of each of these objects is constant. They're not accelerating. Their accelerations are zero. As with velocity-time graphs, the important thing to remember is that the height above the horizontal axis doesn't correspond to position or velocity, it corresponds to acceleration.

  If you trip and fall on your way to school, your acceleration towards the ground is greater than you'd experience in all but a few high performance cars with the "pedal to the metal". Acceleration and velocity are different quantities. Going fast does not imply accelerating quickly. The two quantities are independent of one another. A large acceleration corresponds to a rapid change in velocity, but it tells you nothing about the values of the velocity itself.

When acceleration is constant, the acceleration-time curve is a horizontal line. The rate of change of acceleration with time is a meaningless quantity so the slope of the curve on this graph is also meaningless. Acceleration need not be constant, but the time rate of change of this number has no name. On the surface, the only information one can glean from an acceleration-time graph is the acceleration at any given time.

On an acceleration-time graph …

slope is meaningless.

the "y" intercept equals the initial acceleration.

when two curves coincide, the two objects have the same acceleration at that time.

an object undergoing constant acceleration traces a horizontal line.

zero slope implies motion with constant acceleration.

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. Transforming a velocity-time graph to an acceleration-time graph means calculating the slope of a line tangent to the curve at any point. (In calculus, this is called finding the derivative.) The reverse process entails calculating the cumulative area under the curve. (In calculus, this is called finding the integral.) This number is then the change of value on a velocity-time graph.

Given an initial velocity of zero (and assuming that down is positive), the final velocity of the person falling in the graph to the right is …

Δv = aΔtΔv = (9.8 m/s2)(1.0 s)Δv = 9.8 m/s ≈ 20 mph

and the final velocity of the accelerating car is …

Δv = aΔtΔv = (5.0 m/s2)(6.0 s)Δv = 30 m/s ≈ 60 mph

On an acceleration-time graph …

the area under the curve equals the change in velocity.

There are more things one can say about acceleration-time graphs, but they are trivial for the most part.

The Meaning of Shape for a v-t Graph

Our study of 1-dimensional kinematics has been concerned with the multiple means by which the motion of objects can be represented. Such means include the use of words, the use of diagrams, the use of numbers, the use of equations, and the use of graphs. Lesson 4 focuses on the use ofvelocity versus time graphs to describe motion. As we will learn, the specific features of the motion of objects are demonstrated by the shape and the slope of the lines on a velocity vs. time graph. The first part of this lesson involves a study of the relationship between the shape of a v-t graph and the motion of the object.

Consider a car moving with a constant, rightward (+) velocity - say of +10 m/s. As learned in an earlier lesson, a car moving with a constant velocity is a car with zero acceleration.

If the velocity-time data for such a car were graphed, then the resulting graph would look like the graph at the right. Note that a motion described as a constant, positive velocity results in a line of zero slope (a horizontal line has zero slope) when plotted as a velocity-time graph. Furthermore, only positive velocity values are plotted, corresponding to a motion with positive velocity.

Now consider a car moving with a rightward (+), changing velocity- that is, a car that is moving rightward but speeding up oraccelerating. Since the car is moving in the positive direction and speeding up, the car is said to have a positiveacceleration.

If the velocity-time data for such a car were graphed, then the resulting graph would look like the graph at the right. Note that a motion described as a changing, positive velocity results in a sloped line when plotted as a velocity-time graph. The slope of the line is positive, corresponding to the positive acceleration. Furthermore, only positive velocity values are plotted, corresponding to a motion with positive velocity.

The velocity vs. time graphs for the two types of motion - constant velocity and changing velocity (acceleration) - can be summarized as follows.

Positive Velocity Zero AccelerationPositive Velocity Positive Acceleration

The Importance of Slope

The shapes of the velocity vs. time graphs for these two basic types of motion - constant velocity motion and accelerated motion (i.e., changing velocity) - reveal an important principle. The principle is that the slope of the line on a velocity-time graph reveals useful information about the acceleration of the object. If the acceleration is zero, then the slope is zero (i.e., a horizontal line). If the acceleration is positive, then the slope is positive (i.e., an upward sloping line). If the acceleration is negative, then the slope is negative (i.e., a downward sloping line). This very principle can be extended to any conceivable motion.

The slope of a velocity-time graph reveals information about an object's acceleration. But how can one tell whether the object is moving in the positive direction (i.e., positive velocity) or in the negative direction (i.e., negative velocity)? And how can one tell if the object is speeding up or slowing down?

The answers to these questions hinge on one's ability to read a graph. Since the graph is a velocity-time graph, the velocity would be positive whenever the line lies in the positive region (above the x-axis) of the graph. Similarly, the velocity would be negative whenever the line lies in the negative region (below the x-axis) of the graph. As learned inLesson 1, a positive velocity means the object is moving in the positive direction; and a negative velocity means the object is moving in the negative direction. So one knows an object is moving in the positive direction if the line is located in the positive region of the graph (whether it is sloping up or sloping down). And one knows that an object is moving in the negative direction if the line is located in the negative region of the graph (whether it is sloping up or sloping down). And finally, if a line crosses over the x-axis from the positive region to the negative region of the graph (or vice versa), then the object has changed directions.

Now how can one tell if the object is speeding up or slowing down? Speeding up means that the magnitude (or numerical value) of the velocity is getting large. For instance, an object with a velocity changing from +3 m/s to + 9 m/s is speeding up. Similarly, an object with a velocity changing from -3 m/s to -9 m/s is also speeding up. In each case, the magnitude of the velocity (the number itself, not the sign or direction) is increasing; the speed is getting bigger. Given this fact, one would believe that an object is speeding up if the line on a velocity-time graph is changing from near the 0-velocity point to a location further away from the 0-velocity point. That is, if the line is getting further away from the x-axis (the 0-velocity point), then the object is speeding up. And conversely, if the line is approaching the x-axis, then the object is slowing down.

The Meaning of Shape for a p-t Graph

Our study of 1-dimensional kinematics has been concerned with the multiple means by which the motion of objects can be represented. Such means include the use of words, the use of diagrams, the use of numbers, the use of equations, and the use of graphs. Lesson 3 focuses on the use of position vs. time graphs to describe motion. As we will learn, the specific features of the motion of objects are demonstrated by the shape and the slope of the lines on a position vs. time graph. The first part of this lesson involves a study of the relationship between the shape of a p-t graph and the motion of the object.

To begin, consider a car moving with a constant, rightward (+) velocity - say of +10 m/s.

If the position-time data for such a car were graphed, then the resulting graph would look like the graph at the right. Note that a motion described as a constant, positive velocity results in a line of constant and positive slope when plotted as a position-time graph.

Now consider a car moving with a rightward (+), changing velocity - that is, a car that is moving rightward but speeding up or accelerating.

If the position-time data for such a car were graphed, then the resulting graph would look like the graph at the right. Note that a motion described as a changing, positive velocity results in a line of changing and positive slope when plotted as a position-time graph.

The position vs. time graphs for the two types of motion - constant velocity and changing velocity (acceleration) - are depicted as follows.

Constant Velocity Positive VelocityPositive Velocity Changing Velocity (acceleration)

The Importance of Slope

The shapes of the position versus time graphs for these two basic types of motion - constant velocity motion and accelerated motion (i.e., changing velocity) - reveal an important principle. The principle is that the slope of the line on a position-time graph reveals useful information about the velocity of the object. It is often said, "As the slope goes, so goes the velocity." Whatever characteristics the velocity has, the slope will exhibit the same (and vice versa). If the velocity is constant, then the slope is constant (i.e., a straight line). If the velocity is changing, then the slope is changing (i.e., a curved line). If the velocity is positive, then the slope is positive (i.e., moving upwards and to the right). This very principle can be extended to any motion conceivable.

Consider the graphs below as example applications of this principle concerning the slope of the line on a position versus time graph. The graph on the left is representative of an object that is moving with a positive velocity (as denoted by the positive slope), a constant velocity (as denoted by the constant slope) and a small velocity (as denoted by the small slope). The graph on the right has similar features - there is a constant, positive velocity (as denoted by the constant, positive slope). However, the slope of the graph on the right is larger than that on the left. This larger slope is indicative of a larger velocity. The object represented by the graph on the right is traveling faster than the object represented by the graph on the left. The principle of slope can be used to extract relevant motion characteristics from a position vs. time graph. As the slope goes, so goes the velocity.

Slow, Rightward(+) Constant VelocityFast, Rightward(+) Constant Velocity

Consider the graphs below as another application of this principle of slope. The graph on the left is representative of an object that is moving with a negative velocity (as denoted by the negative slope), a constant velocity (as denoted by the constant slope) and a small velocity (as denoted by the small slope). The graph on the right has similar features - there is a constant, negative velocity (as denoted by the constant, negative slope). However, the slope of the graph on the right is larger than that on the left. Once more, this larger slope is indicative of a larger velocity. The object represented by the graph on the right is traveling faster than the object represented by the graph on the left.

Slow, Leftward(-) Constant VelocityFast, Leftward(-) Constant Velocity

As a final application of this principle of slope, consider the two graphs below. Both graphs show plotted points forming a curved line. Curved lines have changing slope; they may start with a very small slope and begin curving sharply (either upwards or downwards) towards a large slope. In either case, the curved line of changing slope is a sign of accelerated motion (i.e., changing velocity). Applying the principle of slope to the graph on the left, one would conclude that the object depicted by the graph is moving with a negative velocity (since the slope is negative ). Furthermore, the object is starting with a small velocity (the slope starts out with a small slope) and finishes with a large velocity (the slope becomes large). That would mean that this object is moving in the negative direction and speeding up (the small velocity turns into a larger velocity). This is an example of negative acceleration - moving in the negative direction and speeding up. The graph on the right also depicts an object with negative velocity (since there is a negative slope). The object begins with a high velocity (the slope is initially large) and finishes with a small velocity (since the slope becomes smaller). So this object is moving in the negative direction and slowing down. This is an example of positive acceleration.

Negative (-) Velocity Slow to FastLeftward (-) Velocity Fast to Slow

The principle of slope is an incredibly useful principle for extracting relevant information about the motion of objects as described by their position vs. time graph. Once you've practiced the principle a few times, it becomes a very natural means of analyzing position-time graphs.