ALGEBRA

2.9 TRAVEL GRAPH

2.9.1 Modelling with straight-line graphs
Many real-life situations can be described, or modelled, by linear graphs. The
price charged by a carpet shop increases steadily as the length of the carpet
increases, for example. Similarly the amount of fuel in a car fuel tank decreases
at a steady rate as the car cruises along a motorway at constant speed.

Example 1
Jenny runs a bath. The water from the taps fills the bath at a rate of 12 litres per
minute. She runs the bath water for 10 minutes.
a) Work out the amount of water in the bath when Jenny has finished running it.
Jenny stays in the bath for 20 minutes. She then empties it. The bath drains at a
rate of 15 litres per minute.
b) Work out how long it takes the bath to empty.
c) Draw a graph to show how the amount of water in the bath changes.

Solution

Some graphs can be built up by constructing a table of values first.

Example 2
Jean is marking examination papers.
She marks 10 papers on Day 1, and
then marks 25 papers every day after
that.
a) Copy and complete the table, to show the total
number of papers marked over the first five days.
b) Find a formula for the total number of papers
marked, T, in terms of the number of days, n.
c) Draw a graph to show how many papers Jean could mark over 20 days.
In fact, Jean has to mark a total of 410 papers.
d) Use your graph to find out how many days this takes.

Solution

When quantities change at a uniform rate, they can be modelled with straight line
graphs. Other quantities may change at a varying rate; the corresponding graphs
then become curves. In the IGCSE examination you will be expected to recognise
the difference between constant and variable rates of change.
Example 3
Water is poured at a steady rate into four different containers A, B, C and D. The
graphs P, Q, R and S show how the depth of water in each container changes over
time. Match the shapes to their corresponding graphs. Explain your reasoning.

Solution
Shape A has constant cross-section as you move upwards, so its depth increases at a
uniform rate. Thus shape A must correspond to graph Q.
Shape C becomes narrower near the top, so its depth will rise more quickly as time goes
on. Thus shape C must correspond to graph S.
Shapes B and D are both wider at the top, so the rate at which their depth rises will tail
off in both cases. Because shape D has a point at the bottom, however, its initial rate of
increase of depth is very high, as in graph P.
So shape B matches graph P, leaving shape B to match graph R.
The matchings are: A Q, B R, C S and D P

EXERCISE A
1. Jeremy has a full tank of petrol. It holds 50 litres of fuel. He then drives for 3
hours at a steady speed, during which time the car consumes 1 litre of fuel
every 5 minutes. At the end of the 3 hours, Jeremy stops and refills the tank
at a service station, which takes 5 minutes. He rests for a further 25 minutes.
He completes his journey by travelling at the same steady speed for a further
one hour.
a) Work out how much petrol remains in the tank after 3 hours.
b) Copy and complete the graph below.

c) Use your graph to find how much fuel is in the tank at the end of the
journey.

2. Sophie is writing a book. She writes 15

pages on Day 1, and then writes 20 pages
a day after that.
a) Copy and complete the table, to show the
total number of pages written over the
first four days.
b) Find a formula for T in terms of n.
c) Draw a graph to show how many pages Sophie could write over 20 days.
The finished book will contain 595 pages.
d) Use your graph to find out how many days it takes to reach the halfway
stage.
e) Use your formula to work out how many days it will take Sophie to finish
the book.
3. Water runs out of a hole in the bottom of a container. The water runs out at a
steady rate. The diagram below shows how the depth of water in the
container varies over time.

Say which of containers A, B or C best matches this graph. Explain your

reasoning.
4. The diagram below shows a bowl. It is in the shape of a hemisphere (half a
sphere). Water is poured into the bowl at a steady rate.

Say which of graphs A, B or C best describes how the depth of water in the
bowl varies over time. Explain your reasoning.

2.9.2 Distancetime graphs

Linear graphs are often used to illustrate the movement of an object away from
a given point, or back towards it. Distance is plotted up the vertical axis, against
time along the horizontal axis, and the result is called a distancetime graph.

On a distancetime graph:
Straight lines correspond to motion with a constant speed.
The gradient of the line indicates the value of the speed.
The steeper the gradient, the faster the speed.
Lines with positive gradient indicate movement away from the starting point.
Lines with negative gradient indicate movement back towards the starting point.
Horizontal lines indicate no movement at all, which means that the object is
stationary.
Example 4
Lance walks from home to the bicycle shop. He spends 20 minutes choosing a new
bicycle. He then rides it home, at a constant speed of 9.6 km/h. The distancetime
graph below shows part of his journey.
a) How far is it from Lances home to the bicycle shop?
b) How fast does he walk to the shop?
c) At what time does he arrive back home?
d) Complete the graph, to show his return journey.

Solution

EXERCISE B

2.9.3 Velocitytime graphs

Sometimes a travel graph is drawn to show velocity along the y axis and time
on the x axis; this is a velocitytime graph. The velocity is often changing, and
the rate of change of velocity is called acceleration.

On a velocitytime graph:
Straight lines correspond to motion with a constant acceleration;
The gradient of the line indicates the value of the acceleration;
The steeper the gradient, the higher the acceleration;
Area under graph = Distance travelled
Lines with positive gradient indicate that the velocity is increasing;
Lines with negative gradient indicate that the velocity is decreasing;
Horizontal lines indicate no acceleration at all; the object is moving at
constant velocity.
Example 5
The velocitytime graph below shows some information about a cyclists journey.

a) Describe what is happening during each of the parts AB, BC and CD on the
graph.
b) Work out the cyclists acceleration during the first 10 seconds.
c) Write down the highest velocity that the cyclist achieves during his journey.
d) Work out the distance travelled while he is travelling at his highest velocity.
Solution

Example 6

(a) Calculate the acceleration of the car between

(i) JK
ii) KL
(iii) LM
(iv) MN
(b) State the type of motion of the car between
(i) JK
(ii) KL
(iii) LM :
(iv) MN :
(c) Calculate the total displacement travelled of the car during
(i) the first 10 s of motion
(ii) the car moves with uniform velocity
(iii) the last 10 s of motion
(d) Calculate
(i) the total distance for the whole journey (ii) the total displacement for the whole journey.
(e) Calculate
(i) the average speed (ii) the average velocity

EXERCISE C

EXTRA EXERCISE