Reading distance-time graphs | Science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Match the symbol for the unit with the property it is used to measure.
- km
  
  ⇔
  
  distance ✓
- s
  
  ⇔
  
  time ✓
- kg
  
  ⇔
  
  mass ✓
- km/h
  
  ⇔
  
  speed ✓
- N
  
  ⇔
  
  force ✓
Which two pieces of equipment could be used to find the speed of a trolley rolling down a ramp?
- balance
- stopwatch ✓
- thermometer
- newton meter
- tape measure ✓
Calculate the distance a bicycle travelling at 6.0 m/s will travel in 30 s.
- 5 m
- 24 m
- 36 m
- 180 m ✓
- 1800 m
A runner completes an 800 m race with an average speed of 6.4 m/s. How long did it take to finish the race?
- 6.4 s
- 125 s ✓
- 793.6 s
- 806.4 s
- 5120 s
A trolley is rolled a distance of 3.0 m, taking 6.0 s to cover the distance. What is the average speed of the trolley?
- 0.5 m/s ✓
- 2.0 m/s
- 3.0 m/s
- 6.0 m/s
- 9.0 m/s
Starting with the fastest, put the values in order of average speed.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  A motorcycle that travels 255 m in 15 s
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  A lorry that travels 500 m in 40 s
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  A car that travels 200 m in 20 s
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  A scooter that travels 30 m in 5 s

Match the keyword to the description.
- distance-time graph
  
  ⇔
  
  Shows the distance something has moved at each moment. ✓
- axis
  
  ⇔
  
  Horizontal or vertical line showing the variable names. ✓
- scale
  
  ⇔
  
  Numbers on an axis showing the minimum and maximum values. ✓
- division
  
  ⇔
  
  Lines on an axis to allow values to be read from a graph. ✓
- average speed
  
  ⇔
  
  Distance moved by an object, divided by the time taken. ✓
What distance has this object travelled after 3 s? Don’t forget to provide the unit in your answer.
- '4 m' ✓
Which feature of this graph shows that the object is travelling at a constant speed?
- The scale is even.
- The axes are labelled correctly.
- The divisions are the same size on both axes.
- The line joining the points is straight. ✓
- The maximum distance was 5 m.
How long does it take for this object to travel 5 m? Give your answer to one decimal place. Don’t forget to provide the unit in your answer.
- '3.6 s' ✓
Use the graph to find the average speed of this object.
- 5 m/s
- 4 m/s
- 3 m/s
- 2 m/s
- 0.8 m/s ✓
What distance does this object travel between 1 s and 4 s? Don’t forget to provide the unit in your answer.
- 0.8 m
- 1.6 m
- 2.4 m ✓
- 3.0 m
- 3.2 m

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The labels on a graph describe what it shows.
The numbers on the scale of a graph go up in equal amounts.
The value of each small division is the value of a large division divided by the number of small divisions it contains.
Each point on a distance-time graph describes where an object is at a point in time (not its speed).
The speed of an object can be found from distance and time information read from a distance-time graph.

Pupils often interpret distance-time graphs (intuitively) as pictures.

Guide pupils step by step through interpreting d-t graphs and link each line with a motion (repeatedly).

Distance-time graph - A distance-time graph is used to show how far an object has travelled over a period of time.
Axis - The horizontal axis on a distance-time graph shows the time and the vertical axis shows the distance.
Scale - Each axis has a scale which shows the variable name and the minimum and maximum values.
Division - Scales are marked with divisions so that values can be read from the distance-time graph.
Average speed - The overall distance travelled divided by overall time for a journey.