A cyclist travels along a straight, flat road. For the first part of the journey the cyclist moves at a steady velocity. The cyclist then speeds up before slowing down and stopping. Describe what a velocity-time graph of this entire journey would look like, and state what feature of the graph could be used to find the total distance travelled.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics (4PH1) — 1.2 Movement and position · Describe · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (4 marks)

A horizontal line at a non‑zero value for the first part of the journey, showing constant velocity.
A line with a positive slope after that, showing the cyclist accelerating.
A line with a negative slope ending at zero, showing deceleration and stopping.
The area under the whole curve, between the line and the time axis, gives the total distance travelled.

Examiner tips

  • Use the command word ‘describe’ to list the key features in order.
  • Show the horizontal, positive‑slope and negative‑slope sections clearly.
  • Mention that the area under the curve equals distance.
  • Use correct physics terminology (velocity, acceleration, area).

Common mistakes

  • Confusing velocity with speed or using a vertical axis for distance.
  • Forgetting to note that the area under the curve gives distance.
  • Drawing a negative slope that does not reach zero, implying the cyclist never stops.

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Horizontal (flat) line at a constant, non-zero value represents the first section of steady velocity
  2. Positive gradient (line sloping upwards) represents the cyclist speeding up / accelerating
  3. Negative gradient (line sloping downwards) ending at zero represents the cyclist decelerating and stopping
  4. The area under the line (between the line and the time axis) gives the total distance travelled

Key terms in this question

velocity-time graph · distance

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