Distance – Time Graphs

A distance-time graph, is a graphical representation of the relationship between the distance travelled by an object and the time it takes to travel that distance  is the speed of an object.

The horizontal axis (x-axis) represents time, typically measured in seconds (s), minutes (min), or hours (h). The vertical axis (y-axis) represents distance , typically measured in metres (m) or kilometres (km). 

INTERPRETING DISTANCE-TIME GRAPH:

The shape of the graph indicates the nature of the motion. 

A straight line on a distance-time graph indicates CONSTANT SPEED.

Where the object travels equal distances in equal intervals of time. The slope of the line will be constant.

 A steeper slope indicates a faster speed.The graph given below shows  two different objects both moving with diffrent constant speed.

Orange line is steeper than blue, it shows that the orange object is moving with greater constant speed than the blue object.

Horizontal line on DIstance -Time graph shows that object is not moving ,it’s at REST.

Changing Speed on a Distance-Time Graph

Objects moving at a changing speed (non-uniform motion) represented by a curve and the slope of the line will be changing.

If the slope is increasing, the speed is increasing (accelerating) and If the slope is decreasing, the speed is decreasing (decelerating).

It is calculated as the change in distance divided by the change in time between two points on the graph. The steeper the slope, the greater the speed. The intercepts on the axes represent specific points in time and distance. The point where the graph intersects the x-axis represents the time when the object started its motion (time = 0). The point where the graph intersects the y-axis represents the initial position or distance travelled by the object at the start of the motion. 

The area under the graph between two time points represents the distance travelled by the object during that time interval. In a uniform motion scenario (straight line), this area can be calculated as the product of the object’s speed (constant) and the time interval.