Velocity-time & displacement time graphs

In summary, to find the acceleration from a position-time graph, you can directly evaluate the second derivative of the position with respect to time using the formula above.
  • #1
CivilSigma
227
58
I am starting to panic...

How do you find the average velocity from a Velocity-time graph. The graph has a slope of 0.75 and starts at (0,6) and ends at (8,12)

I calculated V.avg = 9. (( 6+ 12)*0.5) but the answer sheet says 12? How?

And, in general how do you find the acceleration from a position- time graph

edit: I was looking at the wrong answer sheet >.< for the first part it is 12!
but I still don't know how to find the acceleration from a position - time graph, easily.I know I am supposed to find the instantaneous velocity at several points and then construct a velocity - time graph. But is there an easier way?
 
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  • #2
sakonpure6 said:
I am starting to panic...

How do you find the average velocity from a Velocity-time graph. The graph has a slope of 0.75 and starts at (0,6) and ends at (8,12)

I calculated V.avg = 9. (( 6+ 12)*0.5) but the answer sheet says 12? How?

And, in general how do you find the acceleration from a position- time graph

edit: I was looking at the wrong answer sheet >.< for the first part it is 12!
but I still don't know how to find the acceleration from a position - time graph, easily.I know I am supposed to find the instantaneous velocity at several points and then construct a velocity - time graph. But is there an easier way?

Yes, there is a more direct way. The acceleration is the second derivative of the velocity with respect to time. To get the acceleration directly, you need to evaluate the second derivative with respect to time numerically. A formula you can use for this is:

[tex]\frac{d^2x}{dt^2}=\frac{x(t+\Delta t)-2x(t)+x(t-\Delta t)}{(\Delta t)^2}[/tex]

This is the acceleration at time t.
 

FAQ: Velocity-time & displacement time graphs

What is the difference between velocity-time and displacement-time graphs?

Velocity-time graphs show the rate of change of an object's position over time, while displacement-time graphs show the actual position of the object at a given time. Velocity-time graphs also show the direction of motion, while displacement-time graphs do not.

How do you interpret the slope of a velocity-time graph?

The slope of a velocity-time graph represents the acceleration of an object. A steeper slope indicates a higher acceleration, while a flatter slope indicates a lower acceleration. A horizontal line on the graph represents a constant velocity, and a vertical line represents an instantaneous change in velocity.

What does the area under a velocity-time graph represent?

The area under a velocity-time graph represents the displacement of an object. This is because the area under the graph is equal to the distance traveled by the object. The direction of the displacement can be determined by the shape of the graph.

How can you calculate the average velocity from a displacement-time graph?

The average velocity can be calculated by dividing the change in displacement by the change in time. This can be represented by the slope of a line connecting two points on the displacement-time graph.

Can a velocity-time graph be used to determine the total distance traveled by an object?

No, a velocity-time graph cannot be used to determine the total distance traveled by an object. It can only show the rate of change of an object's position and its direction of motion. To determine the total distance traveled, the displacement-time graph would need to be used.

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