On a velocity-versus-time graph, what does the area under the curve represent?
ADisplacement
BAcceleration
CAverage speed only
DForce
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Displacement
1. A velocity-time graph plots v on the vertical axis and t on the horizontal axis.
2. Multiplying velocity by time (the geometric area under the curve) gives units of distance, i.e. displacement.
3. The text states this outright: "The area under a velocity curve represents the displacement."
4. So the enclosed area under a v-t graph is the object's displacement over that time interval.
_Source: OpenStax Physics Ch 2 "Motion in One Dimension", p.77 §2.4 Velocity vs. Time Graphs_
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