Science 6
Interpreting Graphs / Name ______
Date ______
Essential Questions
  1. How do you measure changes in speed?
/ Vocabulary
motion, distance, time, speed / Objectives
1. Graph changes in motion.

Is it possible to graph a person’s movement? In the activity below you will graph the motion of a student as she moves from math to science class.

X
Time (s) / Y
Position (meters)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H

Passing period travels:

A. A student arrives at class during the passing period.

B. She decides to go get water and walks down the hall to the drinking fountain that is 15 meters away. It takes her 30 seconds to get there.

C. She waits in line for 20 seconds.

D. She steps 1m to the front of the line in 1 second.

E. Then she drinks water for 9 seconds.

F. She slowly walks 4m past the fountain (away from class)

to look for her friend coming down the stairs. This takes

her 20 seconds.

G. She stands there waiting for her friend for 40 seconds.

H. She gives up on finding her friend and hurries back to class

in 10 seconds. Her friend is already in class starting the warm-up.

Questions(Don’t forget to include units for time and distance!)

1. What was the total travel time in seconds from when she left the classroom to her return? ______

2. What is this travel time in minutes and seconds? ______

3. If the description above began (A.) at 2min. into the passing period, was the student on time to class? ______

4. What was the furthest distance from the room that the student reached? ______

5. What was the total distance the student traveledin the story? ______

Graph(Don’t forget to label the x and y axis with a title and units)

Interpret the graph to answer the following questions:

6. The y-coordinates on the graph show the distance of the student from what reference point?

  1. student’s friendB. the classroom

C. water fountainD. stairs

7. The graph shows the distance of the student at certain times (described as a distance vs. time graph).

The slope of the line on this type of graph demonstrates ______.

  1. altitude (height off ground)B. speed

C. accelerationD. displacement

8. When the line on the graph is horizontal the student is ______.

9. When the line on slopes slightly upward the student is ______.

10. When the line on slopes steeply downward the student is ______.

11. During which section of the graph was the student walking fastest ______.

  1. 0 to 30 seconds (AB)
  2. 30 to 50 seconds (BC)
  3. 60 to 80 seconds (EF)
  4. 120 to 130 seconds (GH)

12. During which section(s) of the graph was the student standing in one place ______.

  1. 30 to 50 seconds (BC)
  2. 51 to 60 seconds (DE)
  3. 80 to 120 seconds (FG)
  4. All of the above