Displacement and distance from velocity Consider the graph shown in the figure, which gives the velocity of an object moving along a line. Assume time is measured in hours and distance is measured in miles. The areas of three regions bounded by the velocity curve and the t-axis are also given.

a. On what intervals is the object moving in the positive direction?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the velocity graph shows how the velocity of the object changes over time, with the horizontal axis representing time (t) in hours and the vertical axis representing velocity (v) in miles per hour.
2. Recall that when the velocity is positive (above the t-axis), the object is moving in the positive direction, and when the velocity is negative (below the t-axis), the object is moving in the negative direction.
3. Identify the intervals on the time axis where the velocity curve is above the t-axis. From the graph, the velocity is positive from t = 0 to t = 1 and from t = 3 to t = 5.
4. Note that between t = 1 and t = 3, the velocity is negative (below the t-axis), so the object is moving in the negative direction during this interval.
5. Conclude that the object is moving in the positive direction on the intervals where the velocity is positive, which are t in [0, 1] and t in [3, 5].

Key Concepts

Velocity and Direction of Motion

Velocity indicates both the speed and direction of an object's movement. When velocity is positive, the object moves in the positive direction along the line; when velocity is negative, the object moves in the opposite direction. Understanding the sign of velocity helps determine intervals of motion direction.

Area Under the Velocity Curve

The area between the velocity curve and the time-axis represents the displacement over a time interval. Positive areas correspond to movement in the positive direction, while negative areas correspond to movement in the negative direction. These areas help quantify how far and in which direction the object has moved.

Intervals of Time and Sign Changes

The velocity graph crosses the time-axis at points where velocity changes sign, indicating a change in direction. Identifying these points allows us to determine intervals where the velocity is positive or negative, which directly relates to the object's direction of motion.