In 2019, Transport for NSW engineers used crash data recorder graphs to reconstruct that a vehicle was travelling at 98 km/h in a 60 zone — 8 seconds before impact.
Today's hook: In 2019, Transport for NSW crash investigators analysed the event data recorder (the "black box") of a vehicle involved in a fatal collision. The recorder logged speed every 0.1 seconds — generating a speed-time graph that showed the driver was at 98 km/h just 8 seconds before impact in a 60 km/h zone. That graph was the key evidence. If you can read a distance-time and a speed-time graph fluently, you can reconstruct exactly what happened too. Today's checkpoint will show you how well you have that skill. Which feature of the speed-time graph do you think the investigators focused on first?
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The hook described road safety engineers using crash data recorder graphs to reconstruct a vehicle's last moments — the same distance-time and speed-time graphs you've been practising.
After working through this checkpoint, how confident do you feel reading those graphs quickly and accurately? If you were the engineer, which feature of the graph would you look at first to understand what happened before the crash?
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1. What does the gradient of a distance-time graph represent?
AAcceleration
BDistance
CSpeed
DTime
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2. On a speed-time graph, a horizontal line means:
AThe object is stationary
BConstant speed
CThe object is accelerating
DThe object is decelerating
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3. A car travels 240 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed?
A40 km/h
B60 km/h
C80 km/h
D960 km/h
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4. What does the area under a speed-time graph represent?
AAcceleration
BDistance travelled
CFinal velocity
DAverage speed
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5. A speed-time graph shows a straight line from (0, 0) to (4 s, 12 m/s). What is the acceleration?
A3 m/s²
B4 m/s²
C12 m/s²
D48 m/s²
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6. Which of these is a vector quantity?
ASpeed
BDistance
CVelocity
DTime
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7. 36 km/h is equal to:
A6 m/s
B10 m/s
C36 m/s
D129.6 m/s
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8. On a distance-time graph, a horizontal line means the object is:
AMoving at constant speed
BAccelerating
CStationary
DDecelerating
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9. A car accelerates from 10 m/s to 30 m/s in 5 seconds. What is its acceleration?
A2 m/s²
B4 m/s²
C6 m/s²
D8 m/s²
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10. The formula for speed is:
ASpeed = time / distance
BSpeed = distance / time
CSpeed = distance × time
DSpeed = acceleration × time
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From the lesson
A student walks 6 m in 3 seconds, stops for 2 seconds, then walks another 4 m in 2 seconds. Sketch a distance-time graph for this journey and calculate the average speed for the whole journey. (4 marks)
SA1
A student walks 6 m in 3 seconds, stops for 2 seconds, then walks another 4 m in 2 seconds. Sketch a distance-time graph for this journey and calculate the average speed for the whole journey. (4 marks)
Hint: Total distance divided by total time gives average speed. Remember to include the time when the student is stationary.
Write your answer in your book.
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From the lesson
A car accelerates uniformly from rest to 20 m/s in 5 seconds, travels at this speed for 10 seconds, then decelerates uniformly to rest in 5 seconds. Sketch the speed-time graph and calculate the total distance travelled. (4 marks)
SA2
A car accelerates uniformly from rest to 20 m/s in 5 seconds, travels at this speed for 10 seconds, then decelerates uniformly to rest in 5 seconds. Sketch the speed-time graph and calculate the total distance travelled. (4 marks)
Hint: Calculate the area under the graph. The shape consists of a triangle, a rectangle, and another triangle.
Write your answer in your book.
Quick check · multiple choice
1
Quick check
What does the gradient of a distance-time graph represent?
+10 XP
2
Quick check
On a speed-time graph, a horizontal line means:
+10 XP
3
Quick check
A car travels 240 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed?
+10 XP
4
Quick check
What does the area under a speed-time graph represent?
+10 XP
5
Quick check
A speed-time graph shows a straight line from (0, 0) to (4 s, 12 m/s). What is the acceleration?
+10 XP
6
Quick check
Which of these is a vector quantity?
+10 XP
7
Quick check
36 km/h is equal to:
+10 XP
8
Quick check
On a distance-time graph, a horizontal line means the object is:
+10 XP
9
Quick check
A car accelerates from 10 m/s to 30 m/s in 5 seconds. What is its acceleration?