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On a graph of position versus time, what physical quantity does the slope of the line represent?
AAcceleration
BAverage velocity
CTotal distance
DElapsed time
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Average velocity
1. A straight-line graph has the general form y = mx + b, where m is the slope (rise over run).
2. On a position-vs-time graph, the rise is the change in position (displacement) and the run is the change in time.
3. The text states this relationship directly: "the slope in a d versus t graph, is the average velocity."
4. So the slope of a position-time graph gives average velocity, not acceleration, distance, or time by itself.
_Source: OpenStax Physics Ch 2 "Motion in One Dimension", p.72 §2.3 Position vs. Time Graphs_
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