Question

a toy car travels in a straight line. the graph shows the position of the toy car as a function of time. what is the speed of the toy car after 5.0 seconds? a. 0.2 m/s b. 2.5 m/s c. 5.0 m/s d. 1.0 m/s

Explanation:

Step1: Recall speed formula

Speed $v=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}$, where $\Delta x$ is change in position and $\Delta t$ is change in time.

Step2: Determine values from graph

At $t = 0\ s$, $x_1=0\ m$; at $t = 5.0\ s$, $x_2 = 1.0\ m$. $\Delta x=x_2 - x_1=1.0 - 0=1.0\ m$, $\Delta t=5.0 - 0 = 5.0\ s$.

Step3: Calculate speed

$v=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}=\frac{1.0}{5.0}=0.2\ m/s$

Answer:

A. $0.2\ m/s$