Area under a velocity-time graph

Car travelling at 70 mph for 2 hours

v mph

Area = 2 70 = 140 This is the distance travelled, 140 miles

70

t hours

The area under a velocity-time graph gives the distance travelled (displacement)

Gradient of a velocity-time graph

The gradient of a velocity-time graph gives the acceleration. Car accelerating steadily from 0 to 20 ms-1 in 5 seconds v ms-1
20 Acceleration = 5

20

= 4 ms-2
This is 4 ms-1 per second
0

t seconds

Area of triangle base height 5 20 = 50 m 2 2

Distance travelled = 50 metres

Summary
The gradient of a velocity-time graph gives the acceleration

The area under a velocity-time graph gives the displacement

Area of a triangle base height b h 2 2 h

b
Area of a trapezium
sum of parallel sides distance between them 2 (a b) h 2

b a

Object with velocity increasing steadily from u to v in time t

Velocity

Acceleration a v - u

v-u
u
t
Equation 1 0

t at v - u

at u v v u at

Time

Equation 2

Displacement s (u v) t 2

Equation 1

v u at
s (u v) t
2

Equation 2

Substituting for v :

s (u u at) t
2

s (2u at) t
2

2 s 2ut at
2

Equation 3

s ut 1at2
2

Equation 1 Rearranging for t : Equation 2

v u at v - u at
s (u v) t
2

-u t va

Substituting for t :

u) s (u v) (v a
2

2as (u v) (v u) 2as uv u2 v2 uv 2as v2 u2 2as u2 v2

Equation 4

v2 u2 2as

Constant Acceleration Equations

Equation 1

v u at
s (u v) t
2

where

u = initial velocity
Equation 2

v = final velocity a = acceleration

t = time taken

Equation 3

s ut 1at2
2

s = displacement
Equation 4

v2 u2 2as