SUBJECT: PHYSICS YEAR LEVEL: FOURTH YEAR

PSSLC COMPETENCY: Describe motion in terms of position/displacement, speed/velocity and

acceleration.
Specific Learning Objectives
1. Infer the speed of an object through graphical interpretation.
Knowledge

1. Sketch the graph of a given motion.

Skills

2. Demonstrate motion presented by the graph.

Attitude

ASSESSMENT
1. Which of the following distance vs. time graphs describe an object moving with increasing
speed?

For numbers 2-4 refer to your answers on the graph below:

5 C
B
d 4

(m) 3
2 A D
1

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 E
t (s)

2. In which portion of the graph is speed fastest?

3. What is the speed at C?
A. 5 m/s B. 3 m/s C. 1.0 m/s D. 0 m/s
4. What is the speed at B?
A. 0.25 m/s B. 1 m/s C. 2 m/s D. 4 m/s

STRATEGIES SUPPORT INSTRUCTIONAL

MATERIALS
Routine Activities
Pre-Activity
Review: Recall the following: Paper strips
1. Definition of speed Chalkboard
2. Definition of slope chalk
3. How to calculate slope

Motivation: A
B
Present the graph: Manila paper wherein the
d C given graph is drawn

t
 Ask volunteers to demonstrate/act out the motion represented by
the graphs A, B, and C by walking in front of the class.

Activity
A. Present the graph of a certain motion and demonstrate how to Activity sheet
determine slope. Ready-made graph on a
manila paper
B. Give students another set of data for them to graph and calculate
the slope.

C. Present various graphs of motion for them.

Analysis
1. How do you construct the graph of a given motion? Chalkboard
2. What are the steps in calculating the slope? Chalk for publishing students’
3. What does change in Y (ΔY) represent? responses
4. What does change in X (ΔX) represent?
5. What does the slope represent?
Abstraction
1. Describe the motion of an object in terms of its speed when the Chalkboard
line is leaning closer to the time axis? Why? Chalk for publishing students’
2. Describe the motion of an object in terms of its speed when the responses
line is leaning closer to the distance axis? Why?
3. How do you calculate the speed using graphs?
Application

Construct the graph of Athena’s motion:

When the buzzer sounded for the recess, Athena slowly went out Manila Paper with Athena’s
from the class and suddenly run towards the school canteen. Halfway story written on it.
to her destination, she remembered that she forgot to bring her
money, so she went back running faster this time.

Answer to the Assessment:

1. C (The slope of a d-t graph represents the speed of the object. The choices includes two graphs
that describes a
motion with changing velocities, graphs C and D, since they are curve but C represents a
motion with
increasing speed while D represents a motion that is gradually decreasing. It can be seen
from graph A that
the position of the object does not change with time so speed is 0. Graph C is a straight line
so speed is
constant)
2. D (The speed of object can be inferred from the steepness of the graph, the steeper the graph
the faster the
object. In the figure shown, the graph is steepest at D so it is at this point where speed is the
fastest.)
3. D (The slope of a horizontal line is 0 and since the slope of a d-t graph represents the speed, it is
0 at C)

4. A (
Activity Sheet

Inferring Speed from a Graph

Materials: ruler, Manila paper, pentel pen

Procedure:

1. Plot the given data:

distance (m) 0 2 4 6 8

time (s) 0 1 2 3 4

2. Calculate the slope of the graph.

Question:

1. Describe the kind of motion presented in the graph.

Abstraction
In a d-t graph:
1. The change in Y represents the change in the object’s position relative to its origin or the change in
distance.
2. The change in X represents the elapsed time for an object to move from one point to another.

Further Readings

Describing Motion with Position vs. Time Graphs

The Meaning of Shape for a p-t (or d-t) Graph

To begin, consider a car moving with a constant, rightward (+) velocity - say of +10 m/s.

If the position-time data for such a car were graphed, then the
resulting graph would look like the graph at the right. Note that
a motion described as a constant, positive velocity results in a
line of constant and positive slope when plotted as a position-
time graph.

Now consider a car moving with a rightward (+), changing

velocity - that is, a car that is moving rightward but speeding
up or accelerating.
If the position-time data for such a car were graphed, then the resulting graph would look like the graph
at the right. Note that a motion described as a changing, positive velocity results in a line of changing
and positive slope when plotted as a position-time graph.

The position vs. time graphs for the two types of motion - constant velocity and changing velocity
(acceleration) - are depicted as follows.

Constant Velocity Positive Velocity

Positive Velocity Changing Velocity (acceleration)

The Importance of Slope

The shapes of the position versus time graphs for these two basic types of motion - constant velocity
motion and accelerated motion (i.e., changing velocity) - reveal an important principle. The principle is
that the slope of the line on a position-time graph reveals useful information about the velocity of the
object. It is often said, "As the slope goes, so goes the velocity." Whatever characteristics the velocity
has, the slope will exhibit the same (and vice versa). If the velocity is constant, then the slope is constant
(i.e., a straight line). If the velocity is changing, then the slope is changing (i.e., a curved line). If the
velocity is positive, then the slope is positive (i.e., moving upwards and to the right). This very principle
can be extended to any motion conceivable.

Consider the graphs below as example applications of this principle

concerning the slope of the line on a position versus time graph. The
graph on the left is representative of an object which is moving with
a positive velocity (as denoted by the positive slope), a constant
velocity (as denoted by the constant slope) and a small velocity (as
denoted by the small slope). The graph on the right has similar
features - there is a constant, positive velocity (as denoted by the
constant, positive slope). However, the slope of the graph on the
right is larger than that on the left. This larger slope is indicative of a larger velocity. The object
represented by the graph on the right is traveling faster than the object represented by the graph on the
left. The principle of slope can be used to extract relevant motion characteristics from a position vs. time
graph. As the slope goes, so goes the velocity.

Slow, Rightward(+) Fast, Rightward(+)

Constant Velocity Constant Velocity

Consider the graphs below as another application of this principle of slope. The graph on the left is
representative of an object which is moving with a negative velocity (as denoted by the negative slope),
a constant velocity (as denoted by the constant slope) and a small velocity (as denoted by the small
slope). The graph on the right has similar features - there is a constant, negative velocity (as denoted by
the constant, negative slope). However, the slope of the graph on the right is larger than that on the left.
Once more, this larger slope is indicative of a larger velocity. The object represented by the graph on the
right is travelling faster than the object represented by the graph on the left.

Slow, Leftward(-) Fast, Leftward(-)

Constant Velocity Constant Velocity
As a final application of this principle of slope, consider the two graphs below. Both graphs show plotted
points forming a curved line. Curved lines have changing slope; they may start with a very small slope
and begin curving sharply (either upwards or downwards) towards a large slope. In either case, the
curved line of changing slope is a sign of accelerated motion (i.e., changing velocity). Applying the
principle of slope to the graph on the left, one would conclude that the object depicted by the graph is
moving with a negative velocity (since the slope is negative ). Furthermore, the object is starting with a
small velocity (the slope starts out with a small slope) and finishes with a large velocity (the slope
becomes large). That would mean that this object is moving in the negative direction and speeding up
(the small velocity turns into a larger velocity). This is an example of negative acceleration - moving in
the negative direction and speeding up. The graph on the right also depicts an object with negative
velocity (since there is a negative slope). The object begins with a high velocity (the slope is initially
large) and finishes with a small velocity (since the slope becomes smaller). So this object is moving in the
negative direction and slowing down. This is an example of positive acceleration.

Negative (-) Velocity Leftward (-) Velocity

Slow to Fast Fast to Slow

The principle of slope is an incredibly useful principle for extracting relevant information about the
motion of objects as described by their position vs. time graph. Once you've practiced the principle a
few times, it becomes a very natural means of analyzing position-time graphs.

Check Your Understanding

Use the principle of slope to describe the motion of the objects depicted by the two plots below. In your
description, be sure to include such information as the direction of the velocity vector (i.e., positive or
negative), whether there is a constant velocity or an acceleration, and whether the object is moving
slow, fast, from slow to fast or from fast to slow. Be complete in your description.