What is the difference between a velocity time graph and a distance time graph?
I just started learning. Help me.
I just started learning. Help me.
Andrew Smith
There are too many differences.
Distance and displacement are related.
Speed and velocity are related.
velocity is the rate of change of DISPLACEMENT not distance.
This is important and you may not yet know why.
But displacement is where you are measured from starting point and distance is how far you have moved to get there.
Now if you go on a curved path or you go out and come back then the distance you have moved is much greater than your displacement.
The other aspect is that velocity is a measure of how FAST you are moving.
Now if you have moved somewhere then stopped your distance or displacement is not zero but it is constant.
The speed AND the velocity are both zero though. And this would show on the graph because the line would fall to the origin.
Padam Narayan
Velocity time graph:
1. Slope determine the acceleration of the object
2. Area under curve represent the displacement
Distance time curve:
1. Slope determine speed of the object
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One has distance and time on the graph and the other has velocity and time on the graph.
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( 1 ) The velocity versus time slope at any selected time is the acceleration at that selected time.
( 2 ) The above accelerations, slopes , will yield an acceleration versus time graph.
( 3 ) The area below the velocity versus time graph between any two selected times is
the distance traveled during that time increment.
( 4 ) The distance versus time graph gives the distance traveled versus time and
the distance traveled between any two selected times.
( 5 ) The above distance traveled between the above two selected times divided
by the time difference gives the average velocity during the selected time increment.
( 6 ) The slope of the distance versus time graph at any selected time gives you the
acceleration at the selected time.
Such graphs give evidence that " A picture is worth a thousand words."
David N
A distance time graph only requires x and y coordinates in order to plot distance and time.
In addition to time and distance, a velocity time graph also requires a coordinate system that allows you to plot direction.