A sprinter's position on a straight track is written down every second.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A sprinter's position on a straight track is written down every second.
| time (s) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| position (m) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
Find the average velocity in each one-second gap. What do the numbers tell you?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Speed distance time; velocity displacement time. Average speed total distance total time. .
On a distance-time (or position-time) graph the slope is the velocity. On a velocity-time graph the slope is the acceleration and the area under the line is the distance.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Each gap. , , and .
Step 2. The pattern. The velocity grows by every second.
Answer: , , , : she speeds up steadily.
Check. A steady rise of each second is an acceleration of .
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