Worksheet 1
1. Define the terms speed and acceleration. Explain how the two terms are related.
2. How can creating and analyzing graphs be useful for understanding forces and
motion in objects?
3. Construct a position-versus-time graph for the following set of data: (D1 = 0
m, T1 = 0 sec), (D2 = 7 m, T2 = 3 sec), (D3 = 14 m, T3 = 6 sec), (D4 = 21 m, T4
= 9 sec), and (D5 = 28 m, T5 = 12 sec). Discuss how you would use this graph to
determine the speed of the object being represented.
4. Is the object represented in question 3 moving with constant speed or
constant acceleration? Explain how you arrived at your conclusion.
5. Debate what assumptions might be made about the unknown forces that are
acting on the object represented by the graph in question 3. Explain the reasons
for each of your assumptions.
6. If the object in question 3 continued to move, explain how you might use the
graph, its gradient, and the data plotted on its x- and y-axes to determine how
far the object would travel in 19.5 additional seconds.
7. From the graph constructed in question 3, calculate the
object’s speed at three-second intervals, then use this new information to
construct a speed-versus-time graph for the object.