- #1
petern
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The position vs. time graph is wavy and I assume the only point where there is acceleration is where there is a curve, right? It seems like the acceleration is also 0 at the curve though. Is it even possible?
The relationship between acceleration and position on a time graph is that acceleration is the slope of the position vs. time graph. This means that the steeper the slope, the greater the acceleration, and the flatter the slope, the smaller the acceleration.
To determine acceleration from a position vs. time graph, you need to find the slope of the graph at any given point. This can be done by drawing a tangent line at that point and calculating the slope of the line using the rise over run method (change in position over change in time).
A positive slope on a position vs. time graph indicates that the object is accelerating in the positive direction. This means that the object is speeding up.
A negative slope on a position vs. time graph indicates that the object is accelerating in the negative direction. This means that the object is slowing down.
If an object is moving at a constant acceleration, the position vs. time graph will be a straight line with a constant slope. This means that the object is accelerating at a constant rate and its speed is changing by the same amount in each time interval.