On a position-time graph, which of the following does the value of the slope indicate about the object?
a
Velocity
b
change in position
c
change in direction
d
total distance
a. Velocity
On a position-time graph, the slope at a particular point indicates the velocity of the object at that point. The slope is calculated by finding the change in position (vertical axis) divided by the change in time (horizontal axis), which corresponds to the object's velocity. The steeper the slope, the greater the velocity. If the slope is constant, the object is moving at a constant velocity. If the slope increases or decreases, the object is accelerating or decelerating, respectively. A change in the sign of the slope indicates a change in direction.