Calculus: Velocity, Position, Distance

Objectives

• Work with linked graphical and physical representations of the horizontal motion of an object

About the Lesson

These TI-Nspire documents are based on the context of the rectilinear (straight line) motion of an object. One key distinction that is particularly difficult for students is that between position and distance traveled. These documents help to make that distinction.

The Velocity_Position_Distance TI-Nspire documents allow the user to provide a velocity function to “drive” the rectilinear (straight line) horizontal motion of an object. The documents produce a corresponding position function by antidifferentiating the user-defined velocity function, using an initial position also set by the user. A “trail” of the path of the object is left so that users can distinguish between the current location of the object and the actual distance it has traveled. The derived position function drives the motion of the object as the user advances the value of time t via a slider.