Name: Tyler Boring

Acceleration vs. Time Graphing

Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/moving-man
and click on Run Now.
Objectives:
To predict, sketch and test acceleration vs. time kinematics graphs

To review predicting and sketching distance vs. time and velocity vs. time
kinematics graphs

PROCEDURE:
1. Begin by making charts like the one below for each of the following a-d
a. The man walks slowly to the house from the origin.
Position Time Graph

______________________

Velocity-Time Graph

ACTUAL/PREDICTION

Explanation for graphs appearance after

actually performing the activity.
The man moves towards the house at a slow
constant rate in a positive direction and gains
displacement with correlation to time. This is
shown with a steady climbing slope.

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
The velocity is not increasing or decreasing
thus remaining constant throughout. This is
shown with a straight line along the x-axis.

_____________________

Acceleration Time Graph

Explanation for graphs appearance - after

actually performing the activity.
Velocity is constant and unchanging making
the acceleration zero throughout. This is
shown with a straight line along the x-axis.

_______________________________

b. The man is sleeping under the tree. When he wakes up he runs toward the
house constantly speeding up as he goes.
ACTUAL/PREDICTION
Position-Time

Explanation:
The man is sleeping under the tree
which is located in a negative place (0,8). The man speeds up constantly
towards the house.

-8
Velocity-Time

Explanation:
The velocity speeds up constantly in
correlation with time as it moves along
the X-Axis. This makes the graph a
straight line with slope going in the
positive direction.

Acceleration-Time

Explanation:
Velocity is constant so the acceleration
is zero. This is shown with a straight
line along the X-Axis.

c. The man steps outside the house pausing to lock the door. He then walks quickly
for 3 meters then immediately slows down and walks the rest of the way at this slow
pace to the tree.
Position-Time

The man steps out of the house and pauses

for a moment that is the straight line at the
middle. He then quickly speeds up quickly
towards the tree creating a downward
curve. The line then straightens out and
continues to be a straight line because of
the constant speed he finishes with.

Velocity-Time

He stands outside for a few moments which

keeps the velocity at zero. He then
accelerations for 3 meters towards the
negative direction so there is a negative
slope. He then decreases his velocity and
moves with a constant velocity so the line
will be along the x-axis.

Acceleration-Time

The lines below the X-Axis is the rapid

acceleration for the 3 meters. Then the line
returns to the x-axis showing zero
acceleration because of the constant
velocity.

d. The man walks steadily toward the tree, stops to pick up a leaf, turns and walks
steadily toward the house slowing to a stop before he arrives.
Position-Time

The man starts at the origin and moves in

the negative direction at a constant rate,
this shows a straight line. He then pauses
for a moment so thats the flat line at the
bottom. He them moves back to the
positive direction in a steady rate thus
showing a straight line and he slows
down at the end so thats the curved
down line.

Velocity-Time

He starts with a negative constant

velocity so thats why it begins in the
negative zone and is straight. He then
pauses for a moment, thats why the
velocity is zero. He then moves with a
constant velocity in the positive direction
along the x-axis. The ending is a straight
line with a negative slope because he is
slowing down to a stop.

Acceleration-Time

The only time there is an acceleration, is

at the end because he is slowing down.