Interpreting Distance/Time Graphs

Front

What is a distance/time graph?

Back

A distance/time graph is a visual representation that shows how distance changes over time. The x-axis represents time, while the y-axis represents distance.

Front

What does a straight line on a distance/time graph indicate?

Back

A straight line indicates that an object is moving at a constant speed.

Front

What does a horizontal line on a distance/time graph represent?

Back

A horizontal line indicates that the object is stationary and not moving.

Front

What does a steep slope on a distance/time graph signify?

Back

A steep slope indicates a high speed, meaning the object is covering a lot of distance in a short amount of time.

Front

What does a gentle slope on a distance/time graph indicate?

Back

A gentle slope indicates a low speed, meaning the object is covering less distance over the same amount of time.

Front

How can you determine the speed of an object from a distance/time graph?

Back

Speed can be determined by calculating the slope of the line on the graph. Speed = Distance/Time.

Front

What does a downward slope on a distance/time graph mean?

Back

A downward slope indicates that the object is returning to its starting point or moving backward.

Front

What does it mean if a graph shows a curve?

Back

A curve indicates that the speed of the object is changing; it could be speeding up or slowing down.

Front

How can you tell when an object has stopped moving on a distance/time graph?

Back

An object has stopped moving when the graph shows a horizontal line.

Front

What is the significance of the y-intercept on a distance/time graph?

Back

The y-intercept represents the starting distance of the object at time zero.