What is the speed of the object at t = 5.0 s?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the speed of the object at a specific time (t = 5.0 s) based on the provided Position-Time graph. To solve it, we need to analyze the graph to determine the position of the object at that time and the slope of the graph at that point, which represents the speed.
Answer
The speed of the object is $0 \, \text{m/s}$.
Answer for screen readers
The speed of the object at ( t = 5.0 , \text{s} ) is ( 0 , \text{m/s} ).
Steps to Solve
- Identify the position at ( t = 5.0 , \text{s} )
From the graph, at ( t = 5.0 , \text{s} ), the position is constant at ( 8 , \text{m} ).
- Observe the graph behavior around ( t = 5.0 , \text{s} )
The graph displays a horizontal segment between ( t = 2.0 , \text{s} ) and ( t = 6.0 , \text{s} ), indicating that the object is at rest (no change in position).
- Determine the speed at ( t = 5.0 , \text{s} )
Speed is calculated as the change in position over the change in time. Since the position does not change:
$$ \text{Speed} = \frac{\Delta \text{Position}}{\Delta t} = \frac{0 , \text{m}}{1 , \text{s}} = 0 , \text{m/s} $$
The speed of the object at ( t = 5.0 , \text{s} ) is ( 0 , \text{m/s} ).
More Information
At ( t=5.0 , \text{s} ), the position remains constant, which means the object is stationary. In a position-time graph, a horizontal line indicates no speed or velocity.
Tips
- Confusing a steep slope with speed: A steep slope indicates higher speed, while a flat section indicates no speed.
- Not reading the graph correctly; always check the exact position at the specified time.
