Question

stimulus - use the information provided and your knowledge of science to help answer the following questions.
a student collected data on the distance an object traveled in 40 seconds and then recorded the data in the graph below.

1. describe the motion of the object between 0 and 15 seconds.
2. circle the area on the graph that represents the object at rest.
3. what is the displacement of the object at 30 seconds?
4. describe the motion of the object between 20 and 40 seconds.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the graph between 0 - 15 seconds

In a position - time graph, a straight - line segment indicates uniform motion. The slope of the line is constant. The formula for slope \(m=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}\), where \(\Delta x\) is the change in position and \(\Delta t\) is the change in time. Since the slope is positive and constant between 0 and 15 seconds, the object is moving at a constant speed away from the starting point.

2. Identify the object at rest

An object at rest has a position - time graph with a slope of 0 (horizontal line). In the given graph, the horizontal line segment is between 15 - 20 seconds.

3. Calculate displacement at 30 seconds

Displacement is the position of the object relative to the starting point. At \(t = 30\) seconds, from the graph, the position \(x=20\) m.

4. Analyze the graph between 20 - 40 seconds

The graph has a straight - line segment between 20 - 40 seconds. The slope \(m=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}\) is negative and constant. A negative slope in a position - time graph means the object is moving towards the starting point at a constant speed.

Answer:

1. The object is moving at a constant speed away from the starting point.
2. Circle the horizontal line segment between 15 - 20 seconds.
3. \(20\) m
4. The object is moving at a constant speed towards the starting point.