How is constant acceleration shown on a velocity-time graph?
Isn‘t it shown as a straight line rising upward?
Yes, constant acceleration is shown on a velocity-time graph as a straight line rising upward. In other words, the velocity-time graph will have a positive slope. The steeper the slope, the greater the acceleration.
Yes, constant acceleration is indeed represented by a straight line on a velocity-time graph. However, the specific characteristics of the line depend on whether the object's acceleration is positive, zero, or negative.
Constant positive acceleration is shown as a straight line rising upward and sloping at a constant rate. The steeper the slope, the greater the acceleration. This indicates that the object is moving in the positive direction and its velocity is increasing over time.
Constant zero acceleration is shown as a horizontal straight line, parallel to the time axis. This implies that the object's velocity remains constant throughout, indicating a state of uniform motion with no change in speed or direction.
Constant negative acceleration is shown as a straight line sloping downward. This indicates that the object is moving in the negative direction and its velocity is decreasing over time.
To determine the acceleration more precisely, you can calculate it by finding the slope of the velocity-time graph. The slope represents the rate of change of velocity, which is equal to the acceleration. For a straight line, the slope is constant, so you can determine the acceleration by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time between any two points on the line.