Student Exploration: Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs
[NOTE TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: This lesson was designed as a follow-up to the
Distance-Time Graphs Gizmo. We recommend you complete that activity before this one.]
Vocabulary: displacement, distance traveled, slope, speed, velocity
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Dora runs one lap around the track, finishing where she started. Clark
runs a 100-yard dash along the straight side of the track.
1. Which runner traveled a greater distance?
Dora, because she runs one lap around the track,
finishing where she started.
2. Which runner had a greater change in position, start to finish?
Dora, because she runs one lap around the track,
finishing where she started unlike Clark that only runs a
100-yard dash along the straight side of the track.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Distance-Time Graphs Gizmo shows a dynamic graph of the position of a runner over time.
The Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs Gizmo includes that same graph and adds two
new ones: a velocity vs. time graph and a distance traveled vs. time graph.
The graph shown below (and in the Gizmo) shows a runner’s position (or distance from the
starting line) over time. This is most commonly called a position-time graph.
Check that the Number of Points is 2. Turn on Show graph
and Show animation for both Runner 1 and Runner 2.
1. Drag the points to create the graph shown to the right.
Runner 1’s line (the red one) should have
endpoints at (0, 0) and (4, 40).
Runner 2’s line (the blue one) should have
endpoints at (0, 40) and (4, 20).
2. Click the green Start button on the stopwatch. Watch the two runners carefully. In
what two ways are the runners’ motions different? Runner 1 is faster than runner 2
and Runner 1 travels further than runner 2 given the same time.
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Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
Click the red Reset button on the stopwatch.
Velocity-time Change the Number of Points to 5.
graphs Turn off Show graph and Show animation for
Runner 2.
Speed is a measure of how fast an object moves, regardless of direction. Speed can never be
negative. Velocity describes both speed and direction, and can be positive or negative.
1. In the Gizmo, make a position-time graph for Runner 1
with the following features:
There is at least one major change in speed.
There is at least one major change in direction.
Click the green Start button and watch the runner run.
Adjust your graph if needed to meet the requirements.
Sketch your graph to the right.
2. Where was the runner each second? Based on your graph, fill in all except the final column
in the table below. (Leave the velocity column blank for now.) Label any numbers with units.
Position at end Distance moved Velocity this
To the left or
Time of time interval this time time interval
right?
(yds) interval (yds) (y/s)
0 – 1 sec 17 yds 17 yds Right 17 y/s
1 – 2 sec 12 yds 5 yds Left 5 y/s
2 – 3 sec 10 yds 3 yds Left 3 y/s
3 – 4 sec 40 yds 30 yds Right 30 y/s
3. To calculate the velocity for each time interval, first calculate the speed of the runner in that
interval (speed = distance ÷ time). If the direction is left to right, velocity is positive. If the
direction is right to left, velocity is negative.
Fill in the velocity column of the table above. Use units (y/s).
When this runner is running to the left (negative velocity), what does his position-time graph
look like?
His position-time graph is downward.
(Activity A will continue on the next page)
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Activity A (continued from previous page)
4. Slope is the steepness of a graph. To find the slope of a line, divide the change in y-value
(rise) by the change in x-value (run). Like velocity, slope can be positive, zero, or negative.
Fill in the slope of each segment of your position-time graph, along with the runner’s velocity
during each time interval, in the table below.
Time interval Slope Velocity (y/s)
0 sec – 1 sec 17 17 y/s
1 sec – 2 sec 5 5 y/s
2 sec – 3 sec -3 -3 y/s
3 sec – 4 sec 20 20 y/s
5. Examine your velocities and the position-time graph you made. How is the slope of a
position-time graph related to the velocity of the runner? The slope of the line on the
position-time graph is equal to the velocity of the object.
6. On the left side of the Gizmo, select the VELOCITY-TIME GRAPH tab. Use the green
probes to compare the velocity-time graph to the position-time graph.
A. How does a velocity-time graph show that a runner is moving fast?
If the Y-axis on the graph is going higher.
B. How does a velocity-time graph show that a runner is moving from left to right?
When the X-axis on the graph is on the negative side.
7. To the right is a position-
time graph of a runner.
First, sketch what you
think his velocity-time
graph will look like on the
blank axes at the far right.
Then check your answer
in the Gizmo.
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Gizmo Velocity Graph
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Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity B:
Set the Number of Points to 3.
Velocity and
Turn on Show graph and Show animation for
position
both Runner 1 and Runner 2.
1. In the Gizmo, make the position-time graphs shown below. Click the green Start button and
watch the runners run. Sketch what you think their velocity-time graphs look like on the
second set of axes. (If you can, use a red line for runner 1, and a blue line for runner 2.)
Then select the VELOCITY-TIME GRAPH tab in the Gizmo. Sketch the actual graph on the
third set of axes below.
Position-time graph Velocity-time (predicted) Velocity-time (actual)
2. Make any position -time graphs you want for Runners 1 and 2. Sketch them below. Then do
the same thing – sketch what you think their velocity-time graphs look like, and then check.
Position-time graph Velocity-time (predicted) Velocity-time (actual)
3. Compare the velocity-time graphs to their related position-time graphs.
A. When do two different position-time graphs have matching velocity-time graphs?
When the two (2) of them has the same direction and speed at the same time.
B. What information is missing from a velocity-time graph?
There’s no acceleration-information on the velocity time graph.
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Activity C: Get the Gizmo ready:
Distance and Turn off Show graph and Show animation for
displacement Runner 2.
1. Create the position-time graph for Runner 1 shown
at right. Then fill in the blanks below to describe
what you think the runner will do, based on that
graph.
The runner will run 40 yards in the first 2
seconds, with a velocity of 20 y/s. His direction
will be from left to right.
Then he will run 10 yards in the next 2 seconds, with a velocity of 5 y/s. His direction will
be from left to right.
Click the green Start button and watch the runner go. Were you correct? Yes
2. Two students, Gina and Walter, are discussing the runner whose graph is shown above.
Gina says the runner moved more than 40 yards.
Walter says the runner moved less than 40 yards.
A. Who do you think is right? Gina
B. Explain your answer. Because when the runner moves from left to right, he
reaches 40 yards. In addition, he run again for another 10 yards.
3. On top of the left half of the Gizmo, select the DISTANCE TRAVELED tab.
A. What was the total distance traveled by the runner after 4 seconds? 50 yards
B. Displacement is equal to the difference between the starting and ending positions.
Displacement to the right is positive while displacement to the left is negative.
What is the displacement shown by the graph at the top of the page? 30 yards
(Activity C continued on next page)
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Activity C (continued from previous page)
4. In the Gizmo, create a position-time graph of a
runner with these characteristics:
travels a distance of 60 yards in 4 seconds
has a displacement of +10 yards
Sketch your graph on the blank axes to the right.
5. Look at the graph you made in question 4. Think
about the speed of that runner.
A. What was the runner’s speed for the first 2
seconds? 20 y/s
B. What was the runner’s speed for the last 2 seconds? 10 y/s
C. What was the runner’s average speed over all 4 seconds? 15 y/s
6. Now think about the velocity of the runner in question 4.
A. What was the runner’s velocity for the first 2 seconds? 20 y/s
B. What was the runner’s velocity for the last 2 seconds? 10 y/s
C. What was the runner’s average velocity over all 4 seconds? 15 y/s
7. Suppose you knew the time, displacement, and total distance traveled for a runner.
A. How would you calculate the runner’s average speed? Summation of the distance
over time.
B. How would you calculate the runner’s average velocity? The final distance – the
initial distance over final time – initial time.
8. To the right is a graph of a runner. Calculate the values
below for this runner. Include appropriate units.
A. Distance traveled: 100 yards
B. Displacement: 20 yards
C. Average speed: 25 y/s
D. Average velocity: 25 y/s
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