When interpreting a velocity–time graph, what physical quantity is represented by the area under the graph during a specific time interval?
Distance (or displacement) travelled
On a velocity–time graph the vertical axis carries velocity and the horizontal axis carries time, so any small strip under the curve has the size velocity × time.
Velocity multiplied by time gives the length moved, so summing all such strips over the interval — that is, the area enclosed under the graph — gives the path length covered, i.e. the distance (or displacement) in that interval.
The slope of the same graph, not its area, gives acceleration, and the height of the curve at an instant gives the speed at that instant.
Hence, the answer is Distance (or displacement) travelled.
Similar Questions
If the speed of an object changes with time, the distance–time graph will be:
Which of the following equations does NOT correctly represent the relationship between physical quantities for an object moving with uniform acceleration?
In a velocity–time graph, which type of line represents motion with no change in velocity?
A distance-time graph for an object moving at uniform speed is characterized by which of the following features?
If a body's velocity changes from +20 m/s to –10 m/s in 4 seconds, the acceleration is _______.
A block of mass 1 kg is dropped from the top of a building of height X m. What will be the value of X if the block hits the ground with a velocity of 20 m/s?
(Take the value of g = 10 m/s2)
A velocity-time graph for a body moving with uniform acceleration is a straight line that slopes upwards. What does the area under this line between two time points represent?
If a person walks 5 meters east, then 12 meters west along a straight path, which value represents the magnitude of the person’s displacement?
Which of the following situations shows an object with zero linear velocity on a position-time graph?
For a car moving with accelerated motion, the distance-time graph is:
Important Questions from Motion
An object is covering distance in direct proportion to the square of time elapsed. What conclusion can be drawn about the motion of the object?
If the distance time graph of the motion of an object is a straight line but not parallel to the time axis, then it may be concluded that the object is moving with a:
Which of the following changes when a body performs uniform circular motion?
Vehicles have treaded tires so that it_______.
What is the formula for momentum?
