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Quizzes > High School Quizzes > Science

Velocity and Acceleration Practice Quiz

Master graph concepts and acceleration today.

Difficulty: Moderate
Grade: Grade 10
Study OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art depicting a trivia quiz on graphing acceleration for high school physics students.

What physical quantity is represented by the slope of a velocity-time graph?
Acceleration
Velocity
Displacement
Time
The slope of a velocity-time graph gives the rate at which velocity changes, which is defined as acceleration. A positive slope indicates increasing velocity, while a negative slope signifies decreasing velocity.
A horizontal line on a velocity-time graph indicates:
Zero acceleration
Constant acceleration
Increasing velocity
Decreasing velocity
A horizontal line on a velocity-time graph means that the velocity is constant, so there is no change over time. Without a change in velocity, the acceleration is zero.
If a velocity-time graph shows an upward sloping straight line, what does it indicate about the acceleration?
Constant positive acceleration
Constant negative acceleration
Zero acceleration
Variable acceleration
An upward sloping straight line shows that the object's velocity is increasing at a constant rate. This constant rate of change is the definition of constant positive acceleration.
What does a steep slope on a velocity-time graph indicate?
High acceleration
Low acceleration
Greater displacement
Longer time duration
A steep slope means that the velocity is changing rapidly over time. Since acceleration is the change in velocity per unit time, a steeper slope directly corresponds to a higher acceleration.
On a velocity-time graph, if the graph is a non-horizontal straight line, then the object is:
Accelerating at a constant rate
Moving at constant speed
At rest
Accelerating variably
A non-horizontal straight line indicates a constant change in velocity, meaning the acceleration is constant. This constant rate of change is a hallmark of uniform acceleration.
How do you determine the acceleration from a velocity-time graph?
By calculating the slope (rise over run) of the graph
By calculating the area under the graph
By measuring the constant velocity
By finding the graph's intercepts
Acceleration is defined as the change in velocity over time, which corresponds to the slope of the velocity-time graph. Calculating the slope gives you the acceleration directly.
If an object's velocity-time graph is curved upward, what can be inferred about its acceleration?
The acceleration is increasing
The acceleration is constant
The acceleration is decreasing
There is no acceleration
A curved upward graph indicates that not only is the velocity increasing, but its rate of increase is also growing. This means that the acceleration is increasing over time.
For an object with constant acceleration, what is the shape of the velocity-time graph?
Straight line
Parabolic curve
Exponential curve
Horizontal line
Under constant acceleration, velocity changes at a uniform rate with time, resulting in a straight line on the graph. A horizontal line would indicate no change in velocity.
What does the area under a velocity-time graph represent?
Displacement
Acceleration
Velocity
Time interval
The area under the velocity-time graph represents the displacement of an object. By integrating velocity over time, you obtain the total change in position.
Consider a velocity-time graph where the slope is negative. What does this tell us about the object's acceleration and motion?
The object is decelerating (negative acceleration)
The object is accelerating in the forward direction
The object maintains constant speed
The object has variable acceleration
A negative slope on a velocity-time graph indicates that the velocity is decreasing over time, which corresponds to negative acceleration, or deceleration. This is typical when an object is slowing down.
Which of the following statements is true regarding a flat line on a velocity-time graph?
The object has zero acceleration
The object is speeding up
The object is slowing down
The object is reversing direction
A flat, horizontal line on the velocity-time graph means that there is no change in velocity over time. Since acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, it must be zero in this case.
When an object reverses its direction, how is that change reflected on its velocity-time graph?
The velocity crosses zero, indicating a change in sign
The acceleration becomes zero at that moment
The graph becomes horizontal at the reversal point
The graph shows a discontinuity in time
When an object reverses direction, its velocity must pass through zero and change sign. This crossing of zero on the velocity-time graph clearly marks the moment of reversal.
If two objects have the same velocity-time graph but different initial positions, what can be said about their accelerations?
Both objects have the same acceleration
The object with the higher initial position accelerates faster
The object with the lower initial position has greater acceleration
Their accelerations differ due to different initial speeds
Acceleration is determined solely by the change in velocity over time, which is depicted by the slope of the velocity-time graph. The initial position does not affect the acceleration.
Calculate the acceleration if the velocity increases from 10 m/s to 30 m/s over a period of 5 seconds.
4 m/s²
5 m/s²
2 m/s²
10 m/s²
Acceleration is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. Here, (30 m/s - 10 m/s) / 5 s equals 4 m/s².
Given the velocity-time equation v(t) = 2t + 5, what is the object's constant acceleration?
2 m/s²
5 m/s²
7 m/s²
Variable acceleration
In the equation v(t) = 2t + 5, the coefficient of t represents the constant acceleration. Therefore, the acceleration is 2 m/s².
A velocity-time graph shows a piecewise function: For 0 ≤ t < 4 s, v(t) = 3t; for 4 s ≤ t ≤ 8 s, v(t) = 12. What is the acceleration during the first and second intervals?
3 m/s² for the first interval and 0 m/s² for the second
0 m/s² for both intervals
3 m/s² for both intervals
0 m/s² for the first interval and 3 m/s² for the second
For 0 ≤ t < 4 s, the velocity v(t) = 3t indicates a constant acceleration of 3 m/s². For 4 s ≤ t ≤ 8 s, the velocity remains constant at 12 m/s, so the acceleration is 0 m/s².
When reading a velocity-time graph, how can you determine if an object is slowing down?
If the velocity and acceleration have opposite signs
If the velocity is a positive value
If the acceleration is zero
If the velocity remains constant
An object is slowing down when its acceleration opposes its velocity direction. This means that if the velocity is positive while the acceleration is negative (or vice versa), the object decelerates.
An object's velocity-time graph is given by v(t) = -4t + 20 for 0 ≤ t ≤ 5 s. What is the displacement during the first 5 seconds?
50 m
40 m
60 m
100 m
The displacement is found by calculating the area under the velocity-time curve. With velocity decreasing linearly from 20 m/s to 0 m/s, the average velocity is 10 m/s and over 5 seconds the displacement is 10 m/s × 5 s = 50 m.
Consider two objects: one has a constant acceleration of 5 m/s², while the other's acceleration increases linearly from 0 to 5 m/s² over the same time interval. How do their velocity-time graphs differ?
The constant acceleration object has a straight line, while the variable acceleration object has a curved, parabolic graph
Both objects will have straight-line velocity-time graphs
Both objects will display curved velocity-time graphs
The constant acceleration object has a parabolic graph while the variable acceleration object shows a straight line
A constant acceleration results in a linear (straight-line) velocity-time graph. In contrast, an acceleration that increases linearly causes the velocity to increase quadratically, producing a curved (parabolic) graph.
An object's velocity-time graph shows a sudden jump at t = 3 s. Which interpretation best describes this observation?
The object undergoes an instantaneous change in velocity, suggesting an impulsive force
The object experiences a gradual acceleration without change in velocity
The sudden jump indicates zero acceleration
The object reverses direction slowly
A sudden jump in the velocity-time graph indicates an instantaneous change in velocity. This is typically modeled using an impulsive force which, in theory, applies an infinite acceleration over a very short duration.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze velocity-time graphs to determine acceleration values.
  2. Calculate slopes to quantify rates of change in motion.
  3. Interpret graph-based data to identify motion trends.
  4. Apply acceleration concepts to solve exam-style problems.

Velocity & Acceleration Graph Cheat Sheet

  1. Slope of a v-t Graph Means Acceleration - On a velocity‑time graph, the steepness of the line shows how quickly speed is changing. A sharp upward slope means strong positive acceleration, while a downward slope shows deceleration. Meaning of Slope for a v-t Graph
  2. Calculate Acceleration from the Slope - Just grab two points on the line and find rise over run: (Δv)/(Δt). It's the same as the slope formula, turning your graph into numbers in seconds and meters per second. Calculating Acceleration
  3. Horizontal Line Equals Constant Velocity - A flat line on your v-t plot means speed isn't changing - zero acceleration. It's like a car cruising at a steady speed on cruise control: predictable and consistent. Constant Velocity Explained
  4. Curved Line Signals Non-uniform Acceleration - When the graph bends, acceleration itself is changing over time. Curves can go from gentle slopes to steep climbs, telling you about jerky or smooth changes in motion. Non-Uniform Acceleration
  5. Area Under Graph is Displacement - The space between your v-t line and the time axis measures how far you travel. Adding up triangles and rectangles under the curve gives total displacement in meters. Displacement from Area
  6. Practice with Different Graph Shapes - Play detective by identifying straight versus curved segments, positive versus negative slopes, and flat stretches. Regular practice builds your intuition for motion at a glance. Shape Practice Problems
  7. Y‑Intercept Shows Initial Velocity - Where your line crosses the vertical axis is your starting speed. Knowing this kickstarts solving kinematics equations, just like setting the scene for a race. Initial Velocity Insights
  8. Acceleration‑Time Slope Is Jerk - In an acceleration-time graph, the slope tells you how quickly acceleration itself changes - called jerk. A positive slope means growing acceleration; a negative slope means it's fading. Understanding Jerk
  9. Area Under a‑t Graph Is Velocity Change - Calculate the area under the acceleration curve to see how much your speed shifts over time. It's perfect for studying rockets blasting off or slowing down. Velocity Change from Area
  10. Graph Problem Solving Powers Up Your Skills - Tackle lots of questions mixing v-t and a-t graphs to sharpen analysis. You'll become the graph whisperer who can read any motion story instantly. Graph Problem Practice
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