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Describing Motion
What are some ways to describe motion?
Before You Read
Before you read the chapter, think about what you know about motion. Record your thoughts in the
first column. Pair with a partner, and discuss his or her thoughts. Write those thoughts in the second
column. Then record what you both would like to share with the class in the third column.

Think

Pair

Share

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter Vocabulary
Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

NEW

NEW

NEW

reference point
position
motion
displacement

speed
constant speed
instantaneous speed
average speed
velocity

acceleration
average acceleration

ACADEMIC
specify

REVIEW
dimension

A Lesson Content Vocabulary page for each lesson is provided in the Chapter Resources Files.
Describing Motion

Lesson 1

Position and Motion

Scan Lesson 1. Read the lesson titles and bold words. Look at the pictures. Identify three facts
that you discovered about position and motion. Write your facts in your Science Journal.

Explain how a reference point is used to describe position.

Describing Position
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direction
Reference point

and

Position

distance

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10

Identify what must change if the reference point is changed.

When a reference point is changed, the description of the
direction and the
distance
to the object also must
be changed.

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11

Find each buildings reference direction and distance. West is the

specified reference direction. Then use a reference point and the
distance to give directions from the post office to the mall.
W

10 km

Coffee
shop

Library

Post
office

Reference
Direction

Distance
(km)

Mall to post office

negative

60 km

Library to coffee shop

positive

10 km

Mall to library

negative

40 km

Post office to coffee shop

positive

30 km

Directions: Travel west 60 km past the library and/or the

coffee shop.

Describing Motion

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Mall

Lesson 1 | Position and Motion (continued)

Describing Position
in Two Dimensions
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12

Sequence the steps in describing position in two

dimensions.
.

reference point

1 Choose a

2 Specify two

reference directions

3 Determine

distance

point along each

13

from the reference

reference direction

Define motion, and explain how to determine whether motion

has occurred.

Describing Changes
in Position
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Motion is the process of changing position

To tell whether an object is in motion, compare the objects

position with that of a reference point. If the distance
between the object and the reference point changes,

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

motion has occurred

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13

Differentiate distance and displacement.

Measurements of an Objects Motion

Distance:

Displacement:

total length of a path

an object follows

the difference
between the initial
position and the final
position of an object

You are riding on a wagon. If you use the wagon as a reference point,
are you moving? How do you know the wagon is moving?
Accept all reasonable responses. Sample answer: If the wagon is the reference point,
you are not moving because your position relative to the wagon remains constant.
You can tell that the wagon is in motion because the distance between the wagon and
other objects in the environment changes.

Describing Motion

Lesson 2

Speed and Velocity

Predict three facts that will be discussed in Lesson 2 after reading the headings. Write your
facts in your Science Journal.

What is speed?
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17

Define speed, and tell how it is determined.

.

Definition: Speed is a measure of the distance an object

travels per unit of time.
How speed is determined: divide distance traveled by the
time it takes to travel that distance

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17

Determine the speed of each event. Draw a line to the reasonable

measurement of speed for that event.

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18

person walking

245 m/s

car on highway

6.4 km/h

airplane flying

60100 km/h

Examine constant speed, changing speed, and instantaneous

speed.

19

Description

Constant

the rate of change of position in which the

same distance is traveled each second

Changing

the distance traveled is different each

second

Instantaneous

speed at a specific instant in time

Write the equation for calculating average speed.

average
=
speed (in m/s)

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19

total distance
total time

(in m)
(in s)

or v =

d
t

Determine the speeds in the following scenario.

John drives 50 km/h for one hour and 100 km/h for one hour.
instantaneous speed each hour: 50 km/h for the first hour
and 100 km/h for the second hour
average speed for the two hours: 75 km/h

Describing Motion

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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Speed

Lesson 2 | Speed and Velocity (continued)

Interpret the distance-time graph to tell what happened in the

Distance-Time Graphs
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20

race to the swing.

Race to the Swing

Distance (m)

KEY
30

girl

20

boy

10
0

10

20
30
Time (s)

The boy and girl start from the school door. When the girl
reaches the swing, the boy is 30 m from the school door.
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21

Sequence the 5 steps used to calculate average speed of an

object on a distance-time graph.
1. Choose one point on the line.

2. Choose a second point on the line.

3. Find the time difference of the points.

5. Divide difference in distance by difference in time.

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21

Calculate the average speed of the runner between seconds

4 and 6 using the five steps.
Race
Distance (m)

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4. Find the distance difference of the points.

Allow students to use

calculators to find the
average speed.

80
60
40
20
0

2 3 4 5 6 7
Time (s)

Step 1. 4,60
Step 2. 6,80
Step 3. Difference in time: 6s 4 s = 2 s
Step 4. Difference in distance: 80 m 60 m = 20 m
Step 5. Divide 20 by 2 = 10 m/s
What is the runners average speed? 10 m/s
Describing Motion

Lesson 2 | Speed and Velocity (continued)

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22

Students can also list

average speed.

Identify 3 motions that can be shown on distance-time graphs.

1. slowing down
2. stopping
3. speeding up

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22

Calculate the average speed of the marble.

Distance (m)

Marble Roll
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Starting point:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (s)

0,0

Change in distance:

Ending point:
40 m

Velocity

10 s

40 m 10 s = 4 m/s

Define velocity.

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23

velocity: the speed and direction of motion

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23

Explain how velocity can change.

direction changes.
Velocity
changes when

speed changes.
both speed and direction change.

Explain how motion can be described using a distance-time graph.

Sample answer: A distance-time graph shows how the speed of an object changes
with time. A distance-time graph can also show when an object slows down, stops,
or speeds up.

Describing Motion

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Average speed of the marble:

Change in time:

10,40

Lesson 3

Acceleration

Skim Lesson 3 in your book. Read the headings, and look at the photos and illustrations.
Identify three things you want to learn more about as you read the lesson. Write your ideas in
your Science Journal.

AccelerationChanges
in Velocity
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27

Define acceleration.
.

acceleration: a measure of the change in velocity during a

period of time

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28

Identify 3 ways that an object can accelerate.

1. slow down
2. speed up
3. change direction

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28

Describe the acceleration of a car in each situation.

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Description

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28

Leaving an
intersection

Acceleration increases in the same

direction as that in which the car is
moving.

Approaching an
intersection

Acceleration increases in the opposite

direction from that in which the car is
moving.

Draw arrows to show the direction of velocity and acceleration as

the toy car moves along the track. Use one color to show velocity
and another color to show acceleration.
KEY
acceleration
velocity

STOP

Describing Motion

Lesson 3 | Acceleration (continued)

Calculating Acceleration
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29

Define average acceleration, and complete the equation for

.

calculating it.
average acceleration: a change in velocity during a time
interval divided by the time interval during which the
velocity changes
Average Acceleration Equation:
vf

a=
t

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29

Identify each variable in the equation.

a

average acceleration:
initial speed:
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29

vi

vf
final speed:
time
t:

vi

Solve for average acceleration.

A rocket accelerates from 0 to 20 km/s. Five seconds after
reaching 20 km/s, the rocket is traveling at 280 km/s. What
is the average acceleration of the rocket?
20 km/s
initial speed:
280 km/s

total time:

5 seconds
280 km/s 20 km/s = 260 km/s

a=

5s

What is the average acceleration of the rocket?

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29

Determine the direction of motion of two objects.

Time (s)

Average
Acceleration
(m/s)

Describing Motion

Time (s)

Average
Acceleration
(m/s)

Direction of motion:
negative

52 km/s

Direction of motion:
positive

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

final speed:

Lesson 3 | Acceleration (continued)

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31

Explain what a speed-time graph indicates about an objects

motion.
how speed changes over time
Describe the motion represented by each set of graphs.

Distance

Time

Time

Speed

Speed

Time

Time

Time

SET 1

SET 2

Time
SET 3

SET 1. The object is at rest.

SET 2. The object is moving at a constant speed.
SET 3. The object is speeding up.

Summarize five ways motion can be described.

1.

position

4.

velocity

2.

average speed

5.

acceleration

3.

instantaneous speed
Car Trip
40

<acceleration

10
0

tio
era

20

30

n
ratio
ccele

Draw a graph to show a car that

starts from rest, accelerates to 35 km/h in 20 seconds,
travels at a constant speed for 20 seconds, slows to a
stop in 10 seconds, and remains at rest for 20 seconds.
Label acceleration during each time period.

cel

Sample answers are

shown.

ac

32

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Speed (km)

Summarizing Motion

a

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Distance

30

Distance

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Speed

Speed-Time Graphs

<acceleration

10

20

30

40 50
Time (s)

60

70

Describing Motion

Review

Describing Motion

Chapter Wrap-Up
Now that you have read the chapter, think about what you have learned.

Use this checklist to help you study.

Complete your Foldables Chapter Project.
Study your Science Notebook on this chapter.
Study the definitions of vocabulary words.
Reread the chapter, and review the charts, graphs, and illustrations.
Review the Understanding Key Concepts at the end of each lesson.
Look over the Chapter Review at the end of the chapter.

Reread the chapter Big Idea and the lesson Key Concepts. Describe
the position and motion of a boat that is leaving the dock. Explain how you could
use a graph to show the boats motion.
Accept all reasonable responses. Sample answer: The reference point is the dock,
and the direction in which the boat is traveling is away from the dock. I could make a
distance-time graph and use it to calculate the average speed or to calculate the

Challenge Some things move so slowly or so quickly that motion is not visible. What events occur
so slowly that you cannot see the motion happening? What events occur so quickly that you cannot
see the motion happening? How could you determine that an object has moved, even when you
cannot see the motion?

10

Describing Motion

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

average acceleration of the boat.