AQA GCSE Physics contents

Unit 5 · Forces

Motion Graphs & Acceleration

3 min read · part of the full Exam Guide

Distance–time graphs

  • For motion in a straight line, a distance–time graph shows the distance travelled against time
  • The gradient is the speed. A straight line means constant speed; a horizontal line means stationary; a curve means the speed is changing (getting steeper: accelerating)
  • (HT) For an accelerating object, the speed at a particular time is the gradient of the tangent to the curve at that time
  • Gradient =change in distancechange in time= \dfrac{\text{change in distance}}{\text{change in time}}

Full Exam Guide

The rest of this topic is in the full Exam Guide

The complete AQA GCSE Physics guide — every topic, exam checklist and common mistake — is coming soon. Until then, the first topic in every unit is free to read.

In the full topic

  • Distance–time graphs
  • Acceleration
  • Velocity–time graphs
  • Uniform acceleration
  • Terminal velocity
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