Reading Distance-Time Graphs · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Reading Distance-Time Graphs

Science · Forces & Motion · ages 11-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What does a flat horizontal line on a distance-time graph mean?

    • The object is stopped
    • The object is moving at constant speed
    • The object is speeding up
    • The object is slowing down

  2. On a distance-time graph, what does a flat (horizontal) section of the line mean?

    • The object is moving very fast
    • The object has stopped
    • The object is moving backwards

  3. A steep line on a distance-time graph means the object is moving slowly.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which axis usually shows distance on a distance-time graph?

    • The bottom (horizontal) axis
    • The side (vertical) axis
    • Neither axis

  5. What does a curve that gets steeper as time goes on mean on a distance-time graph?

    • The object is speeding up
    • The object is moving at constant speed
    • The object is slowing down
    • The object is stopped

  6. On a distance-time graph, a straight line goes from (0, 0) to (5 s, 100 m). What is the speed in m/s?

    Answer: ______________

  7. Two lines are drawn on the same distance-time graph. Line A is steeper than Line B. What does this tell you?

    • Line A shows a faster speed than Line B
    • Line A shows a slower speed than Line B
    • Both lines show the same speed

  8. A cyclist travels 30 km in 2 hours at a constant speed. What is her speed in km per hour?

    Answer: ______________

  9. Ben looks at a distance-time graph and says: 'The line is higher at 3 seconds than at 1 second, so the object was moving faster at 3 seconds.' What is wrong with his reasoning?

    • Nothing is wrong, Ben is correct
    • The graph cannot show distance at two different times
    • Height shows the total distance covered, not speed

  10. Jamal walks to the shop, stands still for 5 minutes, then walks home twice as fast as he walked there. Which describes his distance-time graph after the flat section?

    • The line goes down, and more steeply than it went up
    • The line goes up steeply, in the same direction as before
    • The line stays flat all the way to the end
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Reading Distance-Time Graphs W1-mt_OUv-QXmW7_-s1

  1. The object is stopped · A flat horizontal line on a distance-time graph means distance is not changing. The object is not moving.
  2. The object has stopped · A flat line means distance isn't changing even though time keeps passing, so the object is stopped.
  3. False · A steep line means a lot of distance is covered in a short time, so the object is moving fast, not slowly.
  4. The side (vertical) axis · Distance is measured up the side. Time is measured along the bottom.
  5. The object is speeding up · A curve that gets steeper means the slope is increasing. Increasing slope means increasing speed. The object is speeding up.
  6. 20 · Speed = distance / time. The object travels 100 m in 5 s. 100 / 5 = 20 m/s.
  7. Line A shows a faster speed than Line B · The steeper the line, the greater the gradient, and the greater the gradient, the faster the speed.
  8. 15 · Speed equals distance divided by time: 30 divided by 2 equals 15 km per hour.
  9. Height shows the total distance covered, not speed · The height of the line shows how far the object has traveled in total. Speed comes from the steepness of the line, not how high it sits on the graph.
  10. The line goes down, and more steeply than it went up · Walking home means his distance from the start is falling, so the line goes down. Since he moves faster on the way back, it falls more steeply than it rose.
Worksheet · LightMySky