Velocity-Time Graph
Contents
Key Stage 4
Meaning
A velocity-time graph is a graph that shows how the velocity of an object changes with time.
About Velocity Time Graphs
- Velocity-time graphs give information about the journey taken by an object.
- On a velocity-time graph the velocity is plotted on the y-axis and the time is plotted on the x-axis.
- A velocity-time graph can be used to calculate the acceleration of an object or the distance travelled by the object.
| Constant Velocity | Accelerating | Decelerating |
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| A gradient of zero shows the object is travelling at a constant velocity. | Acceleration is shown by a positive gradient. | Deceleration is shown by a negative gradient. |
Example Calculations
Calculating Acceleration
- The speed can be calculated from a distance time graph by reading the graph and using the equation Speed=Distance/Time.
| Calculate the acceleration of the object in the first 10 seconds of the journey. | Calculate the acceleration of the object in the first 10 seconds of the journey. |
| Calculate the distance travelled by the object in the first 20 seconds the entire journey. | Calculate the distance travelled by the object over the entire journey. |