Applied Graphs

Objectives:
By the end of the lesson leaners should be able to:

 Draw simple graphs in practical situations including conversion graphs and distance-time graphs.
 Interpret and use simple graphs in practical situations including conversion graphs and distance-time
graphs.
 Construct/draw a speed-time graph.
 Interpret speed-time graphs including acceleration/deceleration (gradient) and area under the graph
(distance). This includes estimation and interpretation of the gradient of a tangent at a point.
A graph is a mathematical structure representing a particular function by connecting a set of points illustrating
relationships between pairs of objects. Numerical data is presented in visual form that can be understood easily.
A title explains what the graph represents.
A graph typically comprises of two axis, namely horizontal axis where independent variable is shown and the
vertical axis representing the independent variable.
Distance-Time Graphs
This graph shows the distance on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis hence its name distance time
graph.
The slope/ gradient of a line segment on a distance time graph gives speed. That is
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛
Average speed is measure in 𝑚/𝑠.
To convert between units for speed we use the relationship below.
36000𝑚
36 𝑘𝑚/ℎ = = 10𝑚/𝑠
3600𝑠

Example
The graph above shows Poppy and Toni’s journey when going to a café which is 3 km from their home.
They take the same route. Poppy leaves home at 10 00 and walks. Toni leaves home at 10 10 and cycles.
(a) (i) How long does Toni wait at the café before Poppy arrives? [1]
(ii) The graphs cross at 10 15.
Describe what this means. [1]
(iii) Calculate Toni’s average speed from home to the café in kilometres per hour. [2]
(b) Poppy and Toni stay at the café until 10 50.
(i) At 10 50 Poppy walks to visit her friend Sasha.
Sasha’s home is 5 km from Poppy’s home.
Poppy walks at the same speed as before.
Complete the travel graph for Poppy. [2]
(ii) At 10 50 Toni starts to cycle home.
At 10 55, when she has travelled half the distance home, her bicycle has a puncture.
She then walks the rest of the way home at 4.5 km/h.
Complete the travel graph for Toni. [2]
(iii) Calculate the average speed for Toni’s journey home from the café. [3]

Speed-Time Graph
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
The SI unit for velocity is 𝑚/𝑠.
Velocity is a vector quantity.
Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
An object whose velocity is changing is said to be accelerating. If the velocity or the direction of a body in motion
changes, the object is said to be accelerating.
If an object moving at a constant speed but changes its direction then it is accelerating.
The more rapid the change in velocity or direction, the greater the acceleration.
Uniform Acceleration
A body has uniform acceleration if it has equal changes in velocity in equal time intervals of time however short
the interval may be.
Acceleration is a vector quantity.
𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
 𝑣−𝑢
𝑎=
𝑡
Positive acceleration is acceleration of a body is positive if its velocity increases with time.
Negative acceleration is acceleration of a body is negative if the velocity of the body decreases. Negative
acceleration is called deceleration or retardation.
If velocity is in 𝑚/𝑠 and time is in seconds then acceleration is in 𝑚/𝑠 2 .
Plotting the velocity of a body against time, the graph obtained is the speed time graph.
The gradient of the graph represent the acceleration of a body in motion.
When the graph is a curve the average gradient is found by connecting subsequent points.
The gradient of a curve at a point is found by calculating the gradient of the tangent of the curve at that
particular point.
The instantaneous rate of change is gradient of the tangent line of the curve at that point.

The graph above shows a journey on a velocity time graph.

The area under the line in a velocity-time graph represents the distance travelled. To find the distance travelled
in the graph above, you need to find the area of the light-blue triangle and the dark-blue rectangle.
Examples
1.

The graph shows the speed of a truck and a car over 60 seconds.
(a) Calculate the acceleration of the car over the first 45 seconds. [2]
(b) Calculate the distance travelled by the car while it was travelling faster than the truck. [3]
2. The diagram shows the speed–time graph of a train journey between two stations.

(a) Find the acceleration of the train during the first 40 seconds. [1]
(b) Calculate the distance between the two stations. [3]

Trapezoidal rule
The area under a curve can be found by splitting the area into equal strips of equal width.
The graph below shows the speed-time graph of a car during the first 20 seconds of a journey.

4 equal strips of equal width are drawn

The area of each trapezium is calculated and added.
Finding the area by trapezium rule gives an approximate value.