Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A delivery drone flies along a straight line. Its velocity rises steadily from to in , stays at for , and then falls steadily to in the next (it slows, stops and starts back).
The displacement is the area under a velocity-time graph, counting area below the time axis as negative. The distance adds the sizes of all the areas.
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. Speeding up. .
Step 2. Steady. .
Step 3. The last part. The velocity falls by in , each second, so it reaches after . Above the axis: . Below: , backwards.
Step 4. Totals. Displacement . Distance .
Answer: (a) . (b) .
Check. The two differ by twice the backward part, .
Watch out. Treating the last part as one triangle from to mixes forward and backward motion. Always split at the axis.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…