Acceleration vs.

Time Graphing

Name : ________________

Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=The_Moving_Man
and click on Run Now.
Objectives:
To predict, sketch and test acceleration vs. time kinematics graphs

To review predicting and sketching distance vs. time and velocity vs. time
kinematics graphs

PROCEDURE:
1. Begin by making charts like the one below for each of the following a-d
a. The man walks slowly to the house from the origin.
Position Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance after

actually performing the activity.
The graph is a straight line passing through
the origin and having a positive slope. This is
because at start the man is at origin and as he
moves towards home, the distance from the
origin increases with time.

Time
Velocity-Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.

____ _________________

Since the person is moving slowly , we can

assume he covers equal distance in equal
intervals of time and so the velocity time
graph is a straight line parallel to time axis or
in other words velocity is constant.

time

Acceleration Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
Since the body is moving in a uniform
velocity so its acceleration is zero and so its
acceleration time graph is equal to time axis
because in time axis acceleration is zero on
all times.

time

b. The man is sleeping under the tree. When he wakes up he runs toward the house constantly
speeding up as he goes
Position Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance after

actually performing the activity.
The graph is like this because as a result of
square relationship with time, the distance
increases a lot with increase in time.

Time
Velocity-Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
Since the body moves with constanly
increasing velocity so the graph is a straight
line inclined at an angle to both the axis.

____ _________________
time

Acceleration Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
Since increase in velocity is constant , so the
acceleration is also constant and so the graph
is a straight line parallel to the time axis.

time

c. The man steps outside the house pausing to lock the door. He then walks quickly for 3
meters then immediately slows down and walks the rest of the way at this slow pace to the
tree.

Position Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance after

actually performing the activity.

Time
Velocity-Time Graph

The person takes some small time 0.2

seconds to lock the door and after that he
walks quickly for 3 seconds , so the distance
increases .After 3 seconds he again walks but
slowly so the position time graph again
increases but at a less rapid rate.
Explanation for graphs appearance - after
actually performing the activity.
The velocity is zero initially. Then velocity is
uniform for next 3 seconds . then it
decreases to a fixed smaller value and so the

graph has 2 distinct straight lines both

parallel to time axis and representing two
different uniform non zero velocities.

____ ____________
time

Acceleration Time Graph

time

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
There are 2 distinct non zero acceleration
components corresponding to the two
velocity changes. The first velocity change is
positive so the acceleration is positive while
the second velocity change is negative and so
the acceleration is negative.

d. The man walks steadily toward the tree, stops to pick up a leaf, turns and walks
steadily toward the house slowing to a stop before he arrives.

.
Position Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance after

actually performing the activity.

TIME

Velocity-Time Graph

Since it is a position time graph. So initially

the position goes negative as we walk in
negative direction and then as we walk to
home our direction is positive and so it
becomes positive.
Explanation for graphs appearance - after
actually performing the activity.

____ _________________
time

Acceleration Time Graph

.The velocity is negative initially as the

position is also in negative direction. Also at
the maximum negative position our velocity
is negative. After this velocity increases
continuously till the person reaches home
when it becomes zero again.

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
Acceleration is initially negative and then it
becomes zero when the velocity is at peak
negative afterwhich is becomes positive
again as the velocity is increasing in the
positive direction.

time

Ans-2 Verified the graphs obtained for all the four cases in question 1 and they are found
to be same as drawn above.
Ans 3 the explanation for each of the graph is given along side the graph for all (d-t),(v-t)
and (a-t) graph for all the four cases.

4 Write an acceleration scenario, sketch the d-t, v-t, and a-t graphs for the story in
red pen, then verify or correct your prediction in a different color pen.

Ans When the person is initially at rest and then starts driving with an ever
increasing velocity then person experiences acceleration . If the acceleration is constant
then the various graphs look like as shown below:
Expected graphs
Position Time Graph (d-t)

Actual Graphs
d-t graphs

Time
Velocity-Time Graph(v-t)

v-t graph

____ _________________
time

Acceleration Time Graph (a-t)

time

a-t graph