2023-2024

Physics Investigatory Report

On
Determining the speed, distance and velocity of a vehicle
using odometer and speedometer and hence study the
interrelations among them.

Name- Mainak Chattaraj

Class- XI
Section- D
Roll No.- 22
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Acknowledgement
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Physics department
and our esteemed teacher Rohit Hazra Sir for assigning us this
holiday homework. This opportunity to engage with physics
concepts beyond the classroom has been an enriching
experience for me.
We would also like to express our thanks to our parents who
continuously supported and encouraged us throughout this
task. Their guidance and encouragement have played a crucial
role in helping us understand complex topics and completing
the assignments on time.
We are grateful for this opportunity to explore the fascinating
world of physics and look forward to applying the knowledge
gained in our future academics.
-Mainak Chattaraj

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Title:
To Determine the Speed, Distance, and Velocity of a Vehicle Using
Odometer and Speedometer and Hence Study the Interrelations
Among Them.

Aim:
The objective of this investigatory project is to analyse the speed,
distance, and velocity of a vehicle during a summer vacation trip.
We are keen to record the readings of the odometer and
speedometer after every 5 minutes, creating a data table for
distance vs. time. Subsequently, we will plot distance-time and
velocity-time graphs to observe the interrelations among these
parameters.
Materials:
 A vehicle with a working odometer and speedometer
 A stopwatch
 A graph paper.

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Introduction:
The measurement of speed, distance, and velocity in a moving
vehicle plays a crucial role in understanding its performance and
motion characteristics. Odometers and speedometers are the used
instruments in vehicles to measure these parameters accurately.
This project aims to analyse the data recorded and study the
interrelations among distance, time, speed, and velocity.

Purpose:
The purpose of this investigation is to gain insights into the
relationship between distance and time, analyse the speed at
different intervals, and observe the vehicle's acceleration during the
journey.

Objectives:
 Record data from the odometer and speedometer at regular
time intervals during the trip.
 Create data tables for distance vs. time and analyse it.
 Plot distance-time and velocity-time graphs to visualize the
motion of the vehicle.
 Calculate the gradient of the distance-time graph to determine
the correlation between distance and time.
 Observe the speed at different intervals and draw conclusions
about acceleration.

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Procedure:
1. Start the vehicle and let it run for a few minutes.
2. Record the reading of the odometer and speedometer at 5
minute.
3. Continue recording the readings until you have a total of 10
readings each at an interval of 5 minutes.
4. Plot the distance readings on the x-axis and the speed readings
on the y-axis.
5. Plot the velocity readings on the x-axis and the speed readings
on the y-axis.

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Data Analysis:
Data Table between Distance Travelled and Time Taken:
Present the recorded data in tabular form with columns for time and
distance travelled.
Time Taken Odometer Speedometer
0 0 0
5 5 40
10 7 70
15 15 60
20 17 30
25 22 80
30 27 100
35 30 100
40 35 90

Data Analysis
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Time

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Odometer (Km):
Odometer Reading
40
35
30
25
Km

20
15
10
5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Time

Speedometer (Km/hr):
Speedometer Reading
120

100

80
Km/Hr

60

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Time

Results:
Distance-Time Graph:
The distance-time graph displays a positive slope linear pattern.
This pattern suggests that the distance travelled by the vehicle and
the amount of time required to travel were directly proportional. In
other words, the car maintained a constant speed throughout the
journey, covering identical distances in equal amounts of time.

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Velocity-Time Graph:

The velocity-time graph similarly showed a straight-line trend with

a positive slope, just like the distance-time graph did. This shows
that the car's speed was consistent throughout the drive. The
vehicle moves continuously in the forward direction at a steady
speed, as shown by the positive slope.

Discussion:
The experiment's findings demonstrate that velocity and speed are
directly correlated with both distance and time. This implies that
the speed of the vehicle will grow as the distance it travels does.
Similar to this, the speed of the vehicle also increases as the
velocity does. The experiment's findings also demonstrate that the
vehicle's speed is not continuous. The vehicle's speed varies
according to the state of the road, such as the volume of traffic or
the gradient.

Conclusion:
The examination concluded by showing that the car maintained a
constant speed and velocity throughout the summer holiday
journey. The uniform motion of the vehicle was confirmed by
linear trends with positive slopes in both the velocity-time and
distance-time graphs. The steady speed seen was further
substantiated by the distance-time strong positive correlation.
Furthermore, the lack of acceleration showed that the vehicle's
speed was constant during the trip. These results highlight the value
of speedometers and odometers in understanding the speed,

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distance, and velocity aspects of a vehicle, resulting in a safer and
more productive travel experience.
References:
Wikipedia.
SL Arora Textbook.
NCERT Textbook.