2/16/2017 RepresentingFreeFallbyGraphs

RepresentingFreeFallbyGraphs
IntroductiontoFreeFall
AccelerationofGravity
RepresentingFreeFallbyGraphs
HowFast?andHowFar?
TheBigMisconception

EarlyinLesson1itwasmentionedthatthereareavarietyofmeansofdescribingthemotionofobjects.
Onesuchmeansofdescribingthemotionofobjectsisthroughtheuseofgraphspositionversus
timeandvelocityvs.timegraphs.InthispartofLesson5,themotionofafreefallingmotionwillbe
representedusingthesetwobasictypesofgraphs.

RepresentingFreeFallbyPositionTimeGraphs
Apositionversustimegraphforafreefallingobjectisshownbelow.

Observethatthelineonthegraphcurves.Aslearnedearlier,acurvedlineonapositionversustime
graphsignifiesanacceleratedmotion.Sinceafreefallingobjectisundergoinganacceleration(g=9.8
m/s/s),itwouldbeexpectedthatitspositiontimegraphwouldbecurved.Afurtherlookattheposition
timegraphrevealsthattheobjectstartswithasmallvelocity(slow)andfinisheswithalargevelocity
(fast).Sincetheslopeofanypositionvs.timegraphisthevelocityoftheobject(aslearnedinLesson
3),thesmallinitialslopeindicatesasmallinitialvelocityandthelargefinalslopeindicatesalargefinal
velocity.Finally,thenegativeslopeofthelineindicatesanegative(i.e.,downward)velocity.

RepresentingFreeFallbyVelocityTimeGraphs
Avelocityversustimegraphforafreefallingobjectisshownbelow.

Observethatthelineonthegraphisastraight,diagonalline.Aslearnedearlier,adiagonallineona
velocityversustimegraphsignifiesanacceleratedmotion.Sinceafreefallingobjectisundergoingan
acceleration(g=9,8m/s/s,downward),itwouldbeexpectedthatitsvelocitytimegraphwouldbe
diagonal.Afurtherlookatthevelocitytimegraphrevealsthattheobjectstartswithazerovelocity(as
readfromthegraph)andfinisheswithalarge,negativevelocitythatis,theobjectismovinginthe
negativedirectionandspeedingup.Anobjectthatismovinginthenegativedirectionandspeedingup
issaidtohaveanegativeacceleration(ifnecessary,reviewthevectornatureofacceleration).Sincethe
slopeofanyvelocityversustimegraphistheaccelerationoftheobject(aslearnedinLesson4),the
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson5/RepresentingFreeFallbyGraphs 1/2
constant,negativeslopeindicatesaconstant,negativeacceleration.Thisanalysisoftheslopeonthe
2/16/2017 RepresentingFreeFallbyGraphs

graphisconsistentwiththemotionofafreefallingobjectanobjectmovingwithaconstant
accelerationof9.8m/s/sinthedownwarddirection.

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