Walk the Line - Straight Line Distance Graphs
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
When one quantity changes at a constant rate with respect to another, we say they are linearly related. Mathematically, we describe this relationship by defining a linear equation. In real-world applications, some quantities are linearly related and can be represented by using a straight-line graph.
In this activity, you will create straight-line, or constant-speed, position versus time plots using a Motion Detector, and then develop linear equations to describe these plots mathematically.
Objectives
- Record position vs. time data for a person walking at a uniform rate.
- Analyze the data to extract slope and intercept information.
- Interpret the slope and intercept information for physical meaning.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Real-World Math with Computers »
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.