Question

what is happening in the graph below?
graph: position (m) vs. time (s), with y-axis (0–50) and x-axis (0–5). points at (2,10), (3,20), (4,30), (5,50); curve from (0,0) to (5,50).
options:

• the object is accelerating and increasing speed.
• the object is going at a constant speed.
• the object is not moving
• the object is accelerating and slowing down.

clear all button

Explanation:

To determine the motion from the position - time graph, we analyze the slope (which represents speed). A curved line with an increasing slope means the object's speed is increasing (acceleration). The graph here is a curve where the slope (speed) is getting steeper over time, so the object is accelerating and its speed is increasing. The option "The object is not moving" is wrong as position changes. "The object is going at a constant speed" is wrong because a constant speed would be a straight - line graph. "The object is accelerating and slowing down" is wrong as acceleration in the direction of motion increases speed.

Answer:

The object is accelerating and increasing speed.