Question

The graph represents velocity vs. time for Carla.

A graph with horizontal axis time (seconds) and vertical axis velocity (meters per second). A line runs in straight segments from 0 seconds 15 meters per second to 1 seconds 13 meters per second to 2 seconds 10 meters per second to 3 seconds 4 meters per second to 4 seconds 0 meters per second to 6 seconds 4 meters per second.

Which best describes the graph?

Carla sped up in the beginning of her trip, stopped, and then slowed down.
Carla had a greater acceleration in the beginning than in the end.
Carla slowed down in the beginning of her trip, stopped, and then sped up.
Carla had a continuous acceleration throughout the entire trip.

Answers

Answered by GPT-4o mini
To analyze the graph's description and determine which statement best describes Carla's motion, let's break down the information:

1. **Velocity Decrease**: The graph shows a decreasing trend in the velocity during the initial part of the trip (from 15 m/s at 0 seconds to 4 m/s at 3 seconds).

2. **Stopping Point**: At 4 seconds, the velocity reaches 0 m/s, indicating that Carla stops.

3. **Subsequent Increase**: From 4 seconds to 6 seconds, the velocity then increases from 0 m/s to 4 m/s.

From this analysis, we can summarize Carla's motion as follows:
- She started at a high velocity (15 m/s) and then decreased her speed, slowing down until she came to a stop (0 m/s).
- After stopping, she then began to speed up again, moving from 0 m/s to 4 m/s.

### Evaluating the Statements:
1. **Carla sped up in the beginning of her trip, stopped, and then slowed down.**
This statement is incorrect because she slowed down in the beginning, not sped up.

2. **Carla had a greater acceleration in the beginning than in the end.**
This statement lacks clarity as we cannot determine exact accelerations from the graph.

3. **Carla slowed down in the beginning of her trip, stopped, and then sped up.**
This statement is correct as it accurately reflects her motion.

4. **Carla had a continuous acceleration throughout the entire trip.**
This statement is incorrect because her motion involves both deceleration and acceleration, not continuous acceleration.

### Conclusion:
The best description of the graph is: **Carla slowed down in the beginning of her trip, stopped, and then sped up.**

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