Name: _________________________ Date: ______________________ Class Period: _________

Kinematics Unit
Worksheet 1: Motion Maps, Position vs. Time Graphs, and Velocity
vs. Time Graphs
1. (a) Given the following position vs. time graph, draw a motion map with one dot
for each second.

Position vs. Time

4
Position (meters)

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
time (seconds)
(b) Describe the motion of the object in words:

(c) What was the total distance traveled by the object in the 7 seconds of motion depicted?

(d) Find the displacement of the object from t = 0 s to t = 7 s.

2. (a) Given the following motion map, where positions have been recorded with one
dot each second, draw a position vs. time graph.
0m 5m Position vs. Time
+
5

begin
Position (meters)
4

t=0s
3

end
1 2 0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
time (seconds)
AP Physics 1 (Adapted from ©Modeling Instruction - AMTA 2013) 1
(b) Describe the motion of the object in words:

(c) What was the total distance traveled by the object?

(d) Find the total displacement of the object from the beginning to the end of its motion.

3. Consider the position vs.

time graph to the right for A
x (m)

cyclists A and B.

B
(a) Do the cyclists start
at the same location?
How do you know? If
not, which is ahead?

5 t (s)
(b) At t = 7 s, which
cyclist is ahead? How do you know?

(c) Which cyclist is traveling faster at 3 s? How do you know?

(d) Are their velocities equal at any time? How do you know?

(e) At t = 5 s, which cyclist has traveled further since when they started (or have
they both traveled the same distance at this time)?

(f) What is happening at the intersection of lines A and B?

AP Physics 1 (Adapted from ©Modeling Instruction - AMTA 2013) 2

 (g) Draw a motion map for cyclists A and B below:

For the following written descriptions, sketch the corresponding velocity vs. time graphs
and motion maps for the object’s motion.

4. The object is moving in the positive

direction at a constant (steady) speed.
Motion Map:

velocity
time

5. The object moves in the negative direction

at a steady speed for 4s, then stands still
for 4s.
Motion Map:
velocity

time

6. The object moves in the positive direction

at a steady speed for 3 s, reverses
direction instantaneously and moves in
the negative direction at the same speed.
velocity

Motion Map:
time

AP Physics 1 (Adapted from ©Modeling Instruction - AMTA 2013) 3

 Draw the velocity vs. time graphs for an object whose motion produced the position vs.
time graphs shown below at left.

7. 4 2

velocity (m/s)
position (m)

2 0 time (s)
0 1 2 3 4

1 -1

0 -2
0 1 2 3 4
time (s)
8. 4 2

velocity (m/s)
3
position (m)

2 0 time (s)
0 1 2 3 4 5

1 -1

0 -2
0 1 2 3 4 5
time (s)

9. Consider the following position vs. time graph.

(a) Determine the velocity of the object.

60
50
x (m)

40
30
(b) Write a mathematical expression (equation)
20 that describes the motion of the object.
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
t (s)

(c) If the object were to continue on at the same speed as in the graph shown, at
what time would the object be 200 m from the origin?

AP Physics 1 (Adapted from ©Modeling Instruction - AMTA 2013) 4