Distance Speed and Time STAAR Review

During a science experiment, a student dropped a metal ball from a height of 150 m. The graph shows the distance the metal ball traveled from its initial position to where it hit the ground.  What information does the graph give you about the speed of the metal ball over time?

• The ball travels at a constant speed.
• The speed of the ball increases over time.
• The speed of the ball decreases over time.
• The speed of the ball increases at first, and  then decreases as time increases.

An elevator traveled 15 floors (150 ft) at a speed of 4.5 m/s. What additional information is needed to determine the velocity of the elevator?

• the direction the elevator traveled
• how long the elevator was stationary
• how many times the elevator stopped
• the total mass of the elevator plus anything in it

The graph below shows the distance a car traveled in 5 seconds while moving on a freeway.  What was the car’s average speed?

• 0 m/s
• 14 m/s
• 28 m/s
• 30 m/s

A student allowed four different objects to roll down a ramp. He measured the distance each object rolled and the time until each object came to a stop. He plotted each point and connected it with a line from origin of the graph.  Which object had the greatest average speed?

• Object A
• Object B
• Object C
• Object D

This distance-time graph shows the speeds of four toy cars.  How much faster did car 1 travel than car 4? 

• 0.3 m/s
• 0.9 m/s
• 5.7 m/s
• 6.0 m/s

Which of the following is an example of acceleration?

• A boat sits on a boat trailer.
• A car moves in a straight line at 60 km/hr.
•   A plane moves in air at a steady speed of 850 km/hr.
• A bus moves on a straight road and then makes a right turn.

What type of catastrophic event could occur here to change Earth’s surface?

• A volcanic eruption
• A landslide
• An earthquake
• A flood

Which would be the easiest route for a casual climb and why?

• Point C to point A because it is the shortest route.
• Point E to point A because it is the most gradual rise in elevation.
• Point E to point A because it is the shortest route.
• Point D to point A because it is the most gradual rise in elevation