Name: PHY0001-Physics for EET
Play the PhET Simulation – “The Moving Man” on a laptop/tablet.
You can Google ‘Phet-The Moving Man’ to find the simulation on internet.
Describe (with detail, using complete sentences) the motion of the man when you play the
simulation starting with the conditions below. Some helpful phrases: to the right, to the left, comes
to a stop, slows down, speeds up, starts, ends, at rest, constant speed
Position Velocity Acceleration Description
-10.0 m 1.0 m/s 1.0 m/s2
0.0 m 1.0 m/s - 0.1 m/s2
- 10.0 m 5.0 m/s - 1.0 m/s2
8.0 m 0.0 m/s -3.0 m/s2
- 4.0 m - 2.0 m/s 1.5 m/s2
- 9.0 m 2.5 m/s 0.0 m/s2
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Questions (answer using complete sentences):
1.) When the velocity is zero, what can you say about the motion of the object?
2.) When the acceleration is zero, what can you say about the velocity of the object?
3.) When the acceleration is positive, what can you say about the velocity of the object?
4.) Is it possible to have negative velocity but positive acceleration? If so, what would this mean?
Fill in the blank:
1.) If the man is moving from a position of 0 m to 6 m in 3 seconds he will move
_________________than he would have if he moved from a position of – 4 m to 0 m in 3 seconds.
Answer choices: slower, faster, the same speed as
2.) Looking at the position of the house and the tree, if the man ran starting from the house going
to the tree in 8 seconds, the average velocity would be __________________.
3.) Starting at a position of 0 m, if the man is moving at a constant velocity of 2 m/s, it will take
__________ seconds for him to reach a position of 12 m.
Now, switch to the “charts” tab at the top of the window.
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For the following starting conditions, draw the graphs that are obtained, and describe the motion with
detail. Only draw the graph up to the point when the man crashes into the wall; don't include the
crash.
Position = - 10.0 m, Velocity = 2.0 m/s, Position = 10.0 m, Velocity = - 4.0 m/s,
2 2
Acceleration = 0.0 m/s Acceleration = 0.0 m/s
position position
velocity velocity
acceleration acceleration
Description: Description:
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Questions:
Position = 0.0 m, Velocity = 4.0 m/s, Position = 4.0 m, Velocity = - 8.0 m/s,
2 2
Acceleration = - 1.1 m/s Acceleration = 5.0 m/s
position position
velocity velocity
acceleration acceleration
Description: Description:
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1.) If the position graph is a flat line, what does that tell you about the motion? Why?
2.) If the velocity graph is a flat line, what does that tell you about the motion? Why?
3.) If the acceleration graph is a flat line, what does that tell you about the motion? Why?
4.) If the position graph is a straight line sloping upward, what does that say about the motion? Why?
5.) If the position graph is a straight line sloping down, what does that say about the motion? Why?
6.) If the velocity graph is a straight line sloping upward, what does that say about the motion? Why?
7.) If the velocity graph is a straight line sloping down, what does that say about the motion? Why?
8.) If the position graph is a curved line, what does that tell us about the motion? Why?
9.) If the velocity graph is a curved line, what does that tell us about the motion? Why?
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