Which situation could best be represented by the graph?
A graph is shown whose horizontal axis is labeled as Distance and the vertical axis is labeled as Time. A line starts from a point on the vertical axis above the origin, goes down, intersects the horizontal axis and enters the fourth quadrant. It then becomes parallel to the horizontal axis for some time then goes up and ends at a point on the horizontal axis.
A.
Felicia swam across the surface of the pool.
B.
George dove underwater and came right back up.
C.
Laura jumped off the diving board and swam along the bottom before surfacing.
D.
Carl climbed up the diving board, changed his mind, and climbed back down.
C. Laura jumped off the diving board and swam along the bottom before surfacing.
C. Laura jumped off the diving board and swam along the bottom before surfacing.
To determine which situation could best be represented by the graph, we need to analyze the characteristics of the graph.
From the graph description, we can see that the line starts above the origin on the vertical axis, goes down, intersects the horizontal axis, and enters the fourth quadrant. This indicates that in the beginning, the object is above the surface or the starting point, then it moves downward and reaches a point on the horizontal axis.
Afterward, the line becomes parallel to the horizontal axis for some time, indicating that the object is maintaining a constant distance from the surface or the starting point.
Finally, the line goes up and ends at a point on the horizontal axis. This indicates that the object rises from below the surface or the starting point and reaches a new point on the horizontal axis.
Based on these characteristics, the situation that best matches the graph is:
C. Laura jumped off the diving board and swam along the bottom before surfacing.
In this situation, the initial jump from the diving board corresponds to the start of the line above the origin. The downward movement represents Laura swimming along the bottom. The parallel portion of the graph represents Laura swimming while maintaining a constant distance from the surface. Lastly, the upward movement represents Laura resurfacing.
By analyzing the given information and understanding the characteristics of the graph, we can determine the best representation.