Area under constant velocity – time curve equals __________ of the object over a given time interval.

The correct answer is displacement.

Key Points

• The area under a velocity-time graph represents the displacement of the object during a specific time interval.
• Displacement is defined as the vector quantity that represents the shortest distance between the initial and final positions of an object.
• For constant velocity, the displacement is calculated as the product of velocity and time, which corresponds to the area of the rectangle under the curve.
• In the case of uniform motion, the velocity remains constant, making the relationship between velocity, time, and displacement straightforward.
• This concept is foundational in kinematics and is derived from the equation of motion: Displacement = Velocity × Time.

Additional Information

• Velocity-Time Graph:
  • It is a graphical representation of how velocity changes with time for an object.
  • The slope of the velocity-time graph gives the acceleration of the object.
  • The area under the graph provides the displacement, which is the net distance traveled.
• Kinematics:
  • Kinematics is the branch of physics that deals with the motion of objects without considering the forces causing the motion.
  • Key quantities include displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
• Constant Velocity:
  • An object moving with constant velocity has zero acceleration.
  • The displacement in such cases is uniform over equal time intervals.
• Equation of Motion:
  • For uniform motion: Displacement = Velocity × Time.
  • For accelerated motion: equations like s = ut + ½at² are used.