The uses of distance – time graphs are :

If an object moves along a straight line, the distance travelled can be represented by a distance-time graph. In a distance-time graph, the gradient of the line is equal to the speed of the object. The greater the gradient (and the steeper the line) the faster the object is moving.

Have a go

1. Click to see a step-by-step slideshow.
2. YOU WILL NEED: A ruler, graph paper or a whiteboard and some pens.
3. STEP 1 – Write the key information from the question in a table like this.
4. STEP 2 – Draw a graph with two axes: total time (x axis) and total distance (y axis).
5. STEP 3 – Plot the points from the table.

It tells us about the position of the body at any instant of time. From the graph, we can see the distance covered by the body during a particular interval of time. It also gives us information about the velocity of the body at any instant of time.

Distance-time graph can be useful in the following ways: (i) It tells the position of the body at any instant of time. (ii) The distance covered by the body during a particular interval of time can be seen from the graph. (iii) The velocity of the body at any instant of time can be determined.

• The nature of motion is given at a glance.
• The relative motion at various intervals can.
• The region of acceleration or retardation can be estimated without any calculation.
• The distance of moving body at any time unit can be calculated.

A position-time graph shows how far an object has traveled from its starting position at any given time since it started moving.

Time is increasing to the right, and distance is increasing constantly with time. The object moves at a constant speed. Constant speed is shown by straight lines on a graph. A steeper line indicates a larger distance moved in a given time.

two types