Area Under Velocity-Time Graphs Simplified Revision Notes for GCSE AQA Physics Combined Science

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5.6.12 Area Under Velocity-Time Graphs

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The area under the line on a velocity-time graph is equal to the displacement of the object.

Figure 1:

Area of rectangle: $10×10=100m^2$

Area of a triangle:
- Base = 10 m
- Height = 18−10 = 8m So, the area of the triangle= $\frac{1}{2} ×10 × 8 = 40cm^2$
Total area:
- $100 m^2+40 m^2=140 m^2$

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If the shape of the graph can be broken into simple geometric shapes, the total area under the line can be calculated by adding the areas of those shapes.

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Key Points

The area under a speed-time graph is the distance. Speed cannot be negative, and neither can the distance. This is because speed and distance are scalars.

The area under a velocity-time graph is the displacement. Velocity can be negative if an object is moving backwards. The displacement can also be negative. An area beneath the x-axis has a negative value. An area above the x-axis has a positive value. Be careful when calculating the total displacement, when summing the displacements remember to include the + and − signs of the displacements.

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