Speed–time graphs: gradient and area
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The teaching part (1 min) is free to watch. A free account opens the whole lecture: 2 worked examples, 8 practice questions, 2 real past-paper questions with the answers explained, the mistakes that lose marks, the full-marks tip, a one-card summary and a quick quiz.
What this lecture covers
- A different graph
- A car journey
- Reading the shape
Read the transcript of the teaching part
Last time
Before we start: last time, in Speed, average speed and acceleration, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.
A different graph
On a speed–time graph, the side shows speed, not distance. It looks a little like the last graph, but it means something different. Two measurements unlock almost everything: the gradient, and the area.
A car journey
Here is a car's journey. In the first six seconds, the line climbs: the car is speeding up. From six to sixteen seconds, the line is flat: the speed is steady at twelve metres per second. In the last four seconds, the line falls to zero: the car is slowing down to a stop.
Reading the shape
A line that slopes upwards means the speed is increasing: the object is accelerating. A flat line means the speed is constant. The object is still moving. A line that slopes downwards means the speed is decreasing: the object is decelerating. The object is stopped only when the line is at zero speed, on the time axis.
How often it comes up
How often Cambridge has asked each part, counted by ExamYard from every past paper in its question bank: Speed–time graphs · Distance from a speed–time graph · Reading speed–time graphs.
Chapter 1.2: Motion
- Speed, average speed and acceleration 6 min
- Distance–time graphs and drawing motion graphs 5 min
- Speed–time graphs: gradient and area 5 min
Also for O Level Physics 5054
Which topics come up most in O Level Physics 5054 past papers, counted from every paper since 2004.