Mission KG1 Basics of Position-Time Graphs
Hold down the T key for 3 seconds to activate the audio accessibility mode, at which point you can click the K key to pause and resume audio. Useful for the Check Your Understanding and See Answers.

The position-time graph for an object with a small velocity would be a line with ____.

Position versus time graphs represent changes which occur in an object's position with respect to time. The slope of the line is the velocity (change in position divided by the change in time) of the object.

The slope of the line on a position-time graph reveals information about an object's velocity. The slope is the velocity so "as the slope goes, so goes the velocity." If the slope is 0, then the velocity is 0. If the slope is large, then the velocity is large. If the slope is small, then the velocity is small. If the slope is constant (as for a straight line), then the velocity is constant. If the slope is changing, then the velocity is changing. If the slope is positive, then the velocity is positive. If the slope is negative, then the velocity is negative. As the slope goes, so goes the velocity.