This page explains creating and interpreting position-time graphs that depict an object's motion by plotting position against time. The y-axis represents position and the x-axis time, with the slope i...This page explains creating and interpreting position-time graphs that depict an object's motion by plotting position against time. The y-axis represents position and the x-axis time, with the slope indicating velocity. A steeper slope indicates faster speed, while a horizontal line shows no movement. Average velocity is calculated as the change in position divided by the change in time. Interactive resources for further learning are also suggested.
In a position-time graph, the velocity of the moving object is represented by the slope, or steepness, of the graph line. If the graph line is horizontal, like the line after time = 5 seconds in Graph...In a position-time graph, the velocity of the moving object is represented by the slope, or steepness, of the graph line. If the graph line is horizontal, like the line after time = 5 seconds in Graph 2 in the Figure below, then the slope is zero and so is the velocity. The steeper the line is, the greater the slope of the line is and the faster the object’s motion is changing.
