Observe™ Notebook

Position-time Graph Review

  1. Position is the specific location of an object in space relative to a reference point or a starting point, such as a piece of tape with a zero marked on it.
  2. Distance is how far apart two points are with no regard to direction.
  3. Displacement is the change in position from the starting point to the ending point, including direction.
  4. Speed is how fast an object is moving, without considering direction.
  5. Velocity is the speed of an object in a specific direction, such as toward or away. It tells you how fast and in which direction.
  6. A coordinate point is an ordered pair of numbers, usually written in parentheses as (x, y), that shows a specific location on a graph. On a position–time graph, the first number (x) represents time, and the second number (y) represents position. Each point tells you exactly where the object was at a given time.
  7. Slope on a position–time graph shows the object's velocity. A steeper slope means a higher speed, and the sign (positive or negative) indicates direction.
  8. Y-intercept is the position value where the graph crosses the vertical axis. It represents the object's starting position at time zero.

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