AQA · GCSE · Physics
Course version: 8463 · Version from Sept 2016
Students should be able to draw distance–time graphs from measurements and…
Full specification wording
The distance–time relationship: Students should be able to draw distance–time graphs from measurements and extract and interpret lines and slopes of distance–time graphs, translating information between graphical and numerical form.
Plotting a distance-time graph from a table requires careful axis setup: time on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical.
Checked against the AQA 8463 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 4 of 5
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Plotting a distance-time graph from a table requires careful axis setup: time on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical. Choose scales that fill at least half the grid using sensible increments. Plot each point accurately. For a multi-stage journey, join the points with distinct straight line segments for periods of constant speed, rather than a single line of best fit. A horizontal segment indicates a stationary period. The gradient of any straight section equals the speed. Translating between graphical and numerical forms means calculating speeds from gradients or describing the journey stage by stage, quoting specific times and distances from the axes.
What earns the marks
- Time on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical, both labelled with units.
- Sensible scales that use at least half of the available grid.
- All points plotted correctly to within half a small square.
- Joining points with distinct straight line segments for multi-stage constant speed journeys.
- A described stage matched to a speed calculated from its gradient.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Drawing a single line of best fit through all points of a multi-stage journey instead of connected segments.
Choosing an awkward scale such as three squares to one unit.
Plotting time on the vertical axis and distance on the horizontal axis.
Describing the graph without quoting any numerical values from the axes.
Exam tips
- Check the scale by counting squares against the largest value before you plot anything.
- Calculate the gradient (change in distance divided by change in time) to find the speed for any straight section.
Try the lesson
The start of the The distance–time relationship: Students should be able to draw distance–time graphs from measurements and extract and interpret lines and slopes of distance–time graphs, translating information between graphical and numerical form. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
On a distance–time graph, what does a horizontal line represent?
Listen
Plotting a distance-time graph from a table requires careful axis setup: time on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical. Choose scales that fill at least half the grid using sensible increments. Plot each point accurately. For a multi-stage journey, join the points with distinct straight line segments for periods of constant speed, rather than a single line of best fit. A horizontal segment indicates a stationary period. The gradient of any straight section equals the speed. Translating between graphical and numerical forms means calculating speeds from gradients or describing the journey stage by stage, quoting specific times and distances from the axes. A strong answer earns marks for these points. time on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical, both labelled with units. sensible scales that use at least half of the available grid. all points plotted correctly to within half a small square. joining points with distinct straight line segments for multi-stage constant speed journeys. Exam tip: Check the scale by counting squares against the largest value before you plot anything.
See it
Key words
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axes and scales
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multi-stage journeys
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calculating gradient
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describing motion
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See every definition
- axes and scales
- Time goes on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical, both labelled with units, using sensible scales that fill at least half the grid.
- multi-stage journeys
- Journeys shown by joining points with distinct straight line segments for periods of constant speed, rather than a single line of best fit.
- calculating gradient
- Change in distance divided by change in time, which equals the speed for any straight section.
- describing motion
- Translating between graphical and numerical forms by describing the journey stage by stage, quoting specific times and distances from the axes.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
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