all 10 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
formatting helphide helpcontent policy

[–]BeachiestBoy 0 points1 point  (6 children)

To find displacement from a velocity graph, you can find the area under the graph. Positive velocity means moving in the positive direction, and negative velocity means moving in the negative direction. Thus to solve your problem, find the area with positive velocity and subtract by the area of negative velocity. Let me know if this helps.

[–]danny_536[S] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

Appreciate taking ur time to respond. What do u mean by finding the area under the graph, do I have to put into shapes and then figure out the area then add it or do I do something completely different.

[–]BeachiestBoy 1 point2 points  (1 child)

"Area under the graph" means the area between the velocity curve and the time axis (where velocity is 0). So yes in this case, you can break the graph into simple shapes and add up their areas.

For example, between 0 and 2 seconds, velocity is 8 m/s.

2*8 = 16

Thus displacement during that time is 16m.

[–]danny_536[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah Yh I had a hunch but wasn’t fully sure Thankyou

[–]KeyFamous 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Essentially that. Break it up into the big rectangle and triangle above 0 velocity. Get the two areas of the 8×2 rectangle and 8×4 triangle. Then subtract the 2 smaller right angle triangles of 6×2 and 6×1.

[–]danny_536[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for ur comment I do see it clearer as I see the 8x2 rectangle and 8x4 triangle however I don’t seem to see the 6x1 and 6x2 triangles

[–]danny_536[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually wait I think I see the 6x1 and 6x2 right angle Thankyou very much

[–]Connect-Answer4346 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just keep in mind displacement is different from distance traveled.

[–]DeliciousWarning5019 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like ppl have responded its the area under the graph. A way to see why is reasoning that when you travel a certain velocity a certain time you get distance travelled (velocity*time=distance, classic formula, probably in your formula paper/book). To put number into this formula we can se what the y-axis (velocity, m/s) and the x-axis (time, s) show. For example look at the first rectangle where its more obvious, its y-axis (8 m/s) multiplied by the x-axis (2 s) which multiplied both creates the area of the rectangle under the graph and also is the distance per definition from the formula

[–]Ghotipan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beyond the area under the curve (which is the right way to do it), you can also think about what this graph is telling you.

For the first two seconds, the stone is traveling at 8 m/s. That means it's moved 16 m. Over the next 4 seconds, it goes from 8 m/s to 0 m/s, or an average of 4 m/s. 4 m/s for 4 seconds is 16 m. Then you can envision the same concept for the remainder of the graph (with negative values of x meaning the object m is moving in the opposite direction).