Motion (speed, Velocity, and acceleration) Science Reading - Free Printable

Let's solve this step-by-step based on the visual interpretation of motion shown in the diagrams. The goal is to determine whether each car is moving at a constant velocity, speeding up, or slowing down.

We analyze each car by looking at the distance between positions at equal time intervals (each second). Since all cars start at 0 sec and move from right to left, we can observe how the spacing changes over time.

---

🔍 Key Concepts:

- Constant Velocity: Equal distances covered in equal time intervals → equal spacing.
- Speeding Up (Accelerating): Increasing distance between positions over time → spacing increases.
- Slowing Down (Decelerating): Decreasing distance between positions over time → spacing decreases.

All cars move from right to left, so we are observing their motion in that direction.

---

✔ Let's Analyze Each Car:

---

#### Car #1
Positions at:
0 sec → 1 sec → 2 sec → 3 sec → 4 sec → 5 sec

Distances between consecutive positions:
- 0→1 sec: small gap
- 1→2 sec: slightly larger
- 2→3 sec: larger
- 3→4 sec: even larger
- 4→5 sec: largest

➡️ The gaps increase with time → the car is covering more distance per second → speeding up

✔ Answer: Speeding up

---

#### Car #2
Positions at:
0 sec → 1 sec → 2 sec → 3 sec → 4 sec

Distances:
- 0→1 sec: small
- 1→2 sec: larger
- 2→3 sec: larger still
- 3→4 sec: largest

Gaps increase → speeding up

✔ Answer: Speeding up

---

#### Car #3
Positions at:
0 sec → 1 sec → 2 sec → 3 sec

Distances:
- 0→1 sec: large
- 1→2 sec: smaller
- 2→3 sec: even smaller

Gaps decrease → covering less distance per second → slowing down

✔ Answer: Slowing down

---

#### Car #4
Positions at:
0 sec → 1 sec → 2 sec → 3 sec → 4 sec

Distances:
- 0→1 sec: small
- 1→2 sec: same as previous
- 2→3 sec: same
- 3→4 sec: same

All gaps are equal → constant distance per second → constant velocity

✔ Answer: Constant velocity

---

#### Car #5
Positions at:
0 sec → 1 sec → 2 sec → ... → 10 sec (11 positions)

Now, let’s check spacing:
- 0→1 sec: small
- 1→2 sec: slightly larger
- 2→3 sec: larger
- ...
- All gaps increase gradually

Wait — actually, look closely:

The positions are evenly spaced from 0 to 10 seconds. Each segment appears to be the same length.

For example:
- From 0→1 sec: one unit
- 1→2 sec: one unit
- ...
- 9→10 sec: one unit

So, equal spacing → equal distance per second → constant velocity

✔ Answer: Constant velocity

> ⚠️ Note: Even though there are many points, if the spacing is uniform, it's constant velocity.

---

#### Car #6
Positions at:
0 sec → 1 sec → 2 sec → 3 sec

Distances:
- 0→1 sec: large
- 1→2 sec: smaller
- 2→3 sec: even smaller

Gaps decrease → slowing down

✔ Answer: Slowing down

---

✔ Final Answers:

| Car | Motion Type |
|-----|---------------------|
| #1 | Speeding up |
| #2 | Speeding up |
| #3 | Slowing down |
| #4 | Constant velocity |
| #5 | Constant velocity |
| #6 | Slowing down |

---

📝 Summary Explanation:

- Speeding up: Distance between positions increases over time.
- Slowing down: Distance between positions decreases over time.
- Constant velocity: Equal spacing between positions.

These visual interpretations help us understand motion without using equations — just by analyzing position vs. time.

---

✔ Fill-in-the-blank Answers:

```
Car #1: Speeding up
Car #2: Speeding up
Car #3: Slowing down
Car #4: Constant velocity
Car #5: Constant velocity
Car #6: Slowing down
```

Let me know if you'd like a diagram explanation or a graph version!