Position, Velocity, and Acceleration

Free to teach as-is — the teacher guide, student handout, and slides are included.

Free — we'll email you an access link. Google Docs format.

Objective

I can relate position, velocity, and acceleration using graphs and equations.

Part 1 of 4

Warm-up video

Professor Dave Explains · 7:40Vetted channel

We don't generate video — this one is by Professor Dave Explains on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.

Part 2 of 4

Key concepts

3 concepts

  1. 1

    Position describes an object's location in space relative to a reference point, while velocity is the rate of change of position over time, and acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time.

  2. 2

    Distance is a scalar quantity representing the total length of the path traveled by an object, whereas displacement is a vector quantity representing the shortest straight-line path between the object's initial and final positions, including direction.

  3. 3

    Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to how fast an object is moving, while velocity is a vector quantity that describes both the speed and direction of an object's motion; similarly, acceleration is always a vector, indicating the rate of change of velocity and its direction.

Part 3 of 4

Practice

9 questions

1

What is the key difference between distance and displacement?

2

Explain the difference between speed and velocity. Provide an example to illustrate your explanation.

Part 4 of 4

Exit ticket

Quick comprehension check

A car starts from rest and accelerates at a constant rate of 2 m/s² for 5 seconds. What is the car's velocity at the end of the 5 seconds?

Sample answer included in the free materials

Get the materials

Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format

  • Teacher Guide

    Complete lesson plan with answer keys and alternate activities

  • Student Handout

    Printable worksheet

  • Slides

    Ready to present

We'll ask for your email to send your access link — nothing else.

Teaching a group at a different level?

Where are your students right now? We'll rebuild this lesson to match — including the teacher guide, student handout, and slides, saved to your Google Drive.

Adapt This Lesson