Position-time and velocity-time graphs
Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.
Ari's cart A starts 24 m behind cart B. A rolls at 7 m/s and B at 5 m/s, both the same way. After how many seconds does A catch B?
Bo's cart A starts 30 m behind cart B. A rolls at 8 m/s and B at 2 m/s, both the same way. After how many seconds does A catch B?
Esme's cart A starts 20 m behind cart B. A rolls at 6 m/s and B at 4 m/s, both the same way. After how many seconds does A catch B?
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A cart's velocity (example data)
time (s) velocity (m/s) 0 0 1 1 2 8 3 27 4 64 Jun reads the velocity table. What are the average acceleration over 0 to 4 s and the acceleration at 2 s?
- 13 m/s² on average; 16 m/s² at 2 s
- 16 m/s² on average; 7 m/s² at 2 s, from (8 − 1) ÷ 1
- 16 m/s² on average and at 2 s, since a is steady
- 16 m/s² on average; about 13 m/s² at 2 s
A cart's position (example data)
time (s) position (m) 0 0 1 3 2 4 3 3 4 0 5 −5 Kira reads the cart's position table. When does the cart turn around, and what are the displacement and distance from 0 s to 5 s?
- At 4 s, where it is back at 0 m; displacement −5 m, distance 13 m
- At 2 s; displacement −5 m, distance 5 m
- At 2 s; displacement −5 m, distance 13 m
- At 2 s; displacement 4 m, distance 4 m, from the peak
Milo says a cart rolled over a hill, since its position-time graph is hill-shaped. Which reply fits the graph?
- No: it rolled out at 2 m/s, then back at 2 m/s; the graph is not a path
- No: it rolled out, then stopped for 3 s
- Yes: the cart slows at the top, where the line peaks
- Yes: the graph rises and falls, so the track itself must rise and then fall
Pia says the cart is slowing down because its velocity is negative. Which reply fits the graph?
Velocity-time graph (example data): time (s) across, 0 to 4, a mark every 1 s; velocity (m/s) up, −6 to 0, a mark every 2 m/s. The line joins (0 s, −2 m/s), (4 s, −6 m/s) with straight pieces. Velocity-time graph (example data): time (s) across, 0 to 4, a mark every 1 s; velocity (m/s) up, −6 to 0, a mark every 2 m/s. The line joins (0 s, −2 m/s), (4 s, −6 m/s) with straight pieces. Velocity-time graph (example data) 0 1 2 3 4 −6 −4 −2 0 time (s) velocity (m/s) - No: its speed grows from 2 to 6 m/s while moving backward
- No: it speeds up, and its acceleration is +1 m/s²
- Yes: a negative velocity means the cart must be slowing down
- Yes: the line slopes down, and down means slowing
A cart's position (example data)
time (s) position (m) 0 0 1 1 2 4 3 9 4 16 Ren says the cart's acceleration at 0 s is zero, since its velocity is zero then. Which reply fits the position table?
- No: velocity rises 2 m/s each second from 0 s, so a = 2 m/s²
- Yes: zero velocity at 0 s means zero acceleration at 0 s
- Yes: the position changes just 1 m in the first second, so a is small
- No: the acceleration is 1 m/s², the position at 1 s
Tala says the cart's acceleration is negative because it moves backward. Which reply fits the velocity-time graph?
Velocity-time graph (example data): time (s) across, 0 to 3, a mark every 1 s; velocity (m/s) up, −6 to 0, a mark every 2 m/s. The line joins (0 s, −5 m/s), (3 s, −2 m/s) with straight pieces. Velocity-time graph (example data): time (s) across, 0 to 3, a mark every 1 s; velocity (m/s) up, −6 to 0, a mark every 2 m/s. The line joins (0 s, −5 m/s), (3 s, −2 m/s) with straight pieces. Velocity-time graph (example data) 0 1 2 3 −6 −4 −2 0 time (s) velocity (m/s) - Yes: a = (−5 − (−2)) ÷ 3 = −1 m/s², last minus first
- No: velocity rises −5 to −2 m/s, so a = +1 m/s² and it slows
- No: a = +3 m/s², the total rise in velocity over the 3 s
- Yes: it moves backward, so its acceleration is negative, −1 m/s²
A cart speeds up from rest at 2 m/s² for 4 s, then coasts at constant velocity for 6 s. What are its displacement and average velocity over the 10 s, Zee?
- 48 m, an average velocity of 4.8 m/s
- 80 m, an average velocity of 8 m/s
- 64 m, an average velocity of 6.4 m/s
- 40 m, an average velocity of 4 m/s