Lesson Plan: Velocity–Time Graphs Mathematics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to calculate the displacement or acceleration of a particle moving in a straight line from its velocity–time graph.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- find the time periods of maximum velocity, zero velocity, and positive or negative velocity from a velocity–time graph,
- understand how the velocity–time graph of a particle relates to the displacement and acceleration of that particle,
- calculate the displacement of a particle by finding the area under its velocity–time graph,
- find the distance traveled by a particle using its velocity–time graph,
- describe the movement of a particle using its velocity–time graph.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- displacement–time graphs,
- the relationship between displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- integrating or differentiating functions to find areas under curves or gradients of curves.