Position Time Graphs
The Position Time Graphs Concept Builder is comprised of 16 position-time graphs that must be analyzed. There are three activities with each activity having a slightly different emphasis. The first activity - Know Your Ds - focuses on the skill of determining the distance traveled and the displacement of an object from the examination of its position-time graph. The second activity - Know Your V - focuses on the skill of determining the velocity of an object from a slope calculation using a position-time graph. The third activity - Know Your D, V, P, and T - consists of slightly more challenging questions in which learners must read coordinates to determine displacement, calculate slopes to determine velocities, and use slopes and coordinates to extrapolate a line on a graph to predict a time or position. Questions are grouped with questions in the same group requiring a very similar skill or graph. If a learner misses a question within Question Group 1, then another question within the same group will be presented to the learner at a later time.
The three activities in this Concept Builder are summarized as follows:
- Know Your Ds: Question Groups 1-4
- Know Your V: Question Groups 5-8
- Know Your D, V, P, and T: Question Groups 9-16
The questions and graphs used in this Concept Builder are shown below. Teachers are encouraged to view the questions in order to judge which activity is most appropriate for their classes. For instance, teachers of honors classes may find that all questions are appropriate. On the other hand, teachers of lower level or middle school classes may find that the Know Your D, V, P, and T activity is a bit too difficult for the bulk of their students.
The Physics Classroom grants teachers and other users the right to print these questions for private use. Users are also granted the right to copy the text and modify it for their own use. However, this document should not be uploaded to other servers for distribution to and/or display by others. The Physics Classroom website should remain the only website or server from which this document is distributed or displayed. We also provide a PDF that teachers can use under the same conditions. We have included a link to the PDF near the bottom of this page.
Question Group #1
Question 1
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 2
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 3
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 4
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #2
Question 5
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 6
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the distance the object moves (in m) during the 10.0 seconds of motion.
Question 7
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 8
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the distance the object moves (in m) during the 20.0 seconds of motion.
Question Group #3
Question 9
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 10
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 11
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 12
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object during the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #4
Question 13
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the distance the object moved (in m) during the 10.0 seconds of motion.
Question 14
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the distance the object moved (in m) during the 10.0 seconds of motion.
Question 15
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the distance the object moved (in m) during the 20.0 seconds of motion.
Question 16
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the distance the object moved (in m) during the 20.0 seconds of motion.
Question Group #5
Question 17
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 18
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 19
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 20
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #6
Question 21
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 22
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 23
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 24
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #7
Question 25
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 26
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 27
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 28
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #8
Question 29
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 30
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 31
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 32
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #9
Question 33
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object at a time of 4.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 34
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object at a time of 6.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 35
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object at a time of 4.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 36
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object at a time of 6.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #10
Question 37
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object during the last 6.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 38
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object during the last 6.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 39
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object during the last 10.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 40
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the velocity (in m/s) of the object during the last 15.0 seconds. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #11
Question 41
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. How much faster (in m/s) is the faster object moving compared to the slower object?
Question 42
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. How much faster (in m/s) is the faster object moving compared to the slower object?
Question 43
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. How much faster (in m/s) is the faster object moving compared to the slower object?
Question 44
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. How much faster (in m/s) is the faster object moving compared to the slower object?
Question Group #12
Question 45
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object after the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 46
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object after the 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 47
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object after the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 48
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the overall displacement (in m) of the object after the 20.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #13
Question 49
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the displacement (in m) of the object after 8.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 50
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the displacement (in m) of the object after 6.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 51
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the displacement (in m) of the object after 10.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question 52
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to determine the displacement (in m) of the object after 15.0 seconds of motion. Enter the appropriate + or – sign.
Question Group #14
Question 53
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. By what distance (in m) are the two objects separated at a time of 5.0 seconds?
Question 54
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. By what distance (in m) are the two objects separated at a time of 10.0 seconds?
Question 55
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. By what distance (in m) are the two objects separated at a time of 10.0 seconds?
Question 56
The two lines on the position-time graph describes the motion of two different objects. By what distance (in m) are the two objects separated at a time of 20.0 seconds?
Question Group #15
Question 57
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the position (in m) of the object at a time of 14.0 seconds.
Question 58
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the position (in m) of the object at a time of 18.0 seconds.
Question 59
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the position (in m) of the object at a time of 24.0 seconds.
Question 60
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the position (in m) of the object at a time of 28.0 seconds.
Question Group #16
Question 61
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the time (in s) that the object will be at a position of 15.0 meters.
Question 62
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the time (in s) that the object will be at a position of 20.0 meters.
Question 63
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the time (in s) that the object will be at a position of 20.0 meters.
Question 64
This position-time graph describes an object's motion. Use it to predict the time (in s) that the object will be at a position of 20.0 meters.