Moving Creature

Moving Creature#

A set of dots representing the position of a living creature is shown in the figure. The spots are equally spaced in time.

Motion diagram of the creature.
Long Description of image: Motion diagram of the creature.
The motion diagram consists of seven dots numbered 0 to 6. Dots 0 to 3 form a horizontal line with an increasing spacing between adjacent dots. Dots 3 to 6 form a straight line with positive slope with an equal spacing between adjacent dots.

Long description ends.

Part 1#

From dots 0 to 3, is the creature slowing down, speeding up, stationary or maintaining a constant speed? Please explain your answer.

Answer Section#

  • The creature is speeding up because the distance between points equally spaced in time is increasing.

  • The creature is slowing down because the distance between points equally spaced in time is increasing.

  • The creature is maintaining a constant speed because the distance between points equally spaced in time is increasing at a constant rate.

  • The creature is stationary because the points form a horizontal line.

Part 2#

From dots 3 to 6, is the creature slowing down, speeding up, stationary or maintaining a constant speed? Please explain your answer.

Answer Section#

  • The creature maintains a constant space because the distance between points equally spaced in time is constant.

  • The creature is stationary because the distance between points equally spaced in time is constant.

  • The creature is speeding up because the dots form a line with a positive slope.

  • The creature is slowing down because the dots form a line with a positive slope.

Part 3#

Describe a physical situation this set of dots could represent. (Choose a creature and explain what it is doing from time 0 to time 6).

Answer Section#

  • This could describe a loon or a duck accelerating across the surface of the water before taking flight at a constant speed, about 30\(^{\circ}\) above the water.

  • This could describe a loon or a duck flying at a constant speed across the surface of the water before taking flight with an increasing speed, about 30\(^{\circ}\) above the water.

  • This could describe a loon or a duck at rest on the surface of the water before taking flight at a constant speed, about 30\(^{\circ}\) above the water.

  • This could describe a loon or a duck at rest on the surface of the water before taking flight with an increasing speed, about 30\(^{\circ}\) above the water.

Attribution#

Problem is licensed under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
The Creative Commons 4.0 license requiring attribution-BY, non-commercial-NC, and share-alike-SA license.