Distance and displacement are slightly different from each other. Distance is a scalar quantity that describes how much ground an object has covered. Displacement is a vector quantity that describes how far an object is from its starting position. A displacement-time graph normally puts displacement on the y-axis and time on the x-axis. Using S.I. units, displacement is measured in meters and time is measured in seconds.
In this activity, students will label displacement-time graphs and provide example scenarios. Students often get these confused with velocity-time graphs, so this activity will serve as both a way to introduce displacement-time graphs and serve as a visual reference for later!
| Section | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | The object is moving at a constant speed. | Sandy is a park ranger. She is patrolling the park at a constant speed in her vehicle. |
| B | The object is stationary. | She sees a goose in her way and stops to let it pass. |
| C | The object moving at a constant speed in the same direction as section A, but not as quickly. | She continues again, but this time more slowly in case there are other animals. |
| D | The object is moving at a constant speed (more quickly than A and C), but in the opposite direction. | There was another animal, but not a goose! She quickly turns her vehicle around to go back to the ranger station at a high speed. |
As an extension, give your students a description of a journey and then have them create the graph themselves. This activity would also work if you got your students to label a velocity-time graph.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Label and interpret a distance time graph. Provide an example scenario to accompany it.