Question

The graph shows two runners participating in a race.

A graph with horizontal axis time (seconds) and vertical axis position in (meters). A green line runs from 0 seconds 5 meters to 10 seconds 30 meters. A blue line runs in straight segments from 0 seconds 0 meters to 2 seconds 8 meters to 4 seconds 11 meters to 7 seconds 20 meters to 75 seconds 28 meters. A green blox below the graph is labeled Daniella and a blue box below the graph is labeled Leonard.
Which best describes the runners?

Daniela had a 5 meter head start, and Leonard caught up to her at 25 meters.
Daniela ran faster than Leonard through the entire race.
Daniela gave Leonard a 5 meter head start and caught up to him at 25 meters.
Daniela ran slower than Leonard, but she went faster at the end.

Answer 1

"Daniela ran slower than Leonard, but she went faster at the end."

Reason: Daniella's position line is straight from (0,5) to (10,30) so her speed is constant 2.5 m/s. Leonard's slope is steeper at the start (4 m/s from 0–2 s) so he ran faster early, but later his speed drops (very small after 7 s). At the end Daniella's 2.5 m/s is greater than Leonard's final slow pace, so Daniela was faster at the end.