Kinematics Part 2 (5086) - Distance-Time Graph

​What is distance-time graph?

• ​It is a graph of distance plotted against time to represent the distance travelled with respect to time.

• Example: the distance moved by an object every second is measured and recorded in a table.

  Using the data, a distance-time graph can be plotted.

​What does distance-time graph show?

•A distance-time graph can be used to determine

• the distance travelled with respect to time.

• the speed

• whether the motion is acceleration or deceleration. (but not the type of acceleration or deceleration)

​Example:
A car covers a distance of 10 m every one second.
=> speed of the car is 10 m / 1 s = 10 m/s

A distance-time graph of the car is shown on the right.
Gradient of graph = Y/X
= Distance / Time
= 50 / 5
= 10

​Gradient of distance-time graph = Speed

• ​When speed = 0 m/s => Graph is horizontal straight line with zero gradient
  so speed = gradient = 0

  
  

• When speed = constant => Graph is straight line with constant gradient
  so speed = gradient = 0

  
  

• How about the shape of graph for increasing speed (acceleration) and decreasing speed (deceleration)?