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7th grade · Science · Unit 14 of 18

Speed, Velocity & Motion Graphs

Average speed, speed versus velocity, and reading distance-time graphs.

What your child practices

Practices calculating average speed from distance and time, telling speed from velocity (which includes direction) and distance from displacement, and reading distance-time graphs.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 7.7(A); 7.7(B); 7.7(C) · average speed, speed and velocity, and distance-time graphs

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Average speed = distance ÷ time.
  2. Velocity includes direction. Displacement is how far you end up from the start, with direction.
  3. On a distance-time graph, a steeper line is faster and a flat line means stopped.

Example: You walk 5 m east, then 3 m west. What is your displacement? You end up 5 − 3 = 2 m from the start. You are still east of the start. Answer: 2 m east

Speed, Velocity & Motion Graphs in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 14 of 18 in 7th grade Science, after Sorting Living Things and before Solar System Tour.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    You walk 4 m east then 2 m west. Your displacement is…

    • 2 m east
    • 6 m east
    • 2 m west
    • 0 m

  2. Question 2

    Average speed equals…

    • mass ÷ volume
    • total distance ÷ total time
    • time ÷ distance
    • distance × time

  3. Question 3

    You walk 3 blocks east, then 3 blocks west. Your distance is…

    • 9 blocks
    • 0 blocks
    • 3 blocks
    • 6 blocks

  4. Question 4

    Velocity is speed with…

    • a temperature
    • a direction
    • a color
    • a mass

  5. Question 5

    On a distance-time graph, the slope of the line equals…

    • mass
    • speed
    • force
    • time

  6. Question 6

    How far does a train go in 3 hours at 70 mi/h?

    • 23 miles
    • 140 miles
    • 73 miles
    • 210 miles

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