Plan the investigation
What students will do
Follow the four-part student handout, from a guided comparison to an investigation students design themselves.
- Compare starting positions. Keep velocity constant and move the block’s starting position. Compare its position and displacement after the same elapsed time.
- Design and collect. Choose a velocity, a nonzero starting position, and at least five measurement times. Plan a procedure and collect position data.
- Analyze a graph. Plot position versus time and draw a best-fit line. Determine velocity from the slope and starting position from the vertical intercept.
- Explain and predict. Support an explanation with evidence, then use the fitted equation to predict position at an unused time within the measured range. Run the simulation to check.
What students will learn
- Distinguish position from displacement when the starting position changes.
- Interpret a position–time graph’s slope, intercept, and slope sign.
- Plan controlled measurements and use a mathematical model to make and test a prediction.
Common misconception
Does a higher position–time graph mean a faster object?
A higher position indicates a different location. Students investigate how the graph’s slope reveals velocity.