The image on the left shows the velocity time graph of a rocket that is launched vertically skywards.

a) What is the peak altitude reached by the rocket?
The area under the positive section of the graph represents the distance travelled as the rocket ascends.
140m

b) Is the rocket stationary at any point along its flight path?
8 seconds into the flight the rocket momentarily has a velocity of 0.

c) What is the altitude of the rocket 5 seconds into the flight?

The area under the graph up to 5 seconds represents the distance travelled.
5 X 20 / 2 = 50m

The image on the left shows the velocity time graph of a vehicle that leaves home and travels along a highway before turning back and heading home.

a) How far does the vehicle travel before it turns back?
Distance = velocity X time
The area under the graph shaded in blue represents the distance travelled as the rocket ascends.
The total area is 345 units (metres)

Click to see how to calculate the area under the graph.

The distance travelled away from home is 345m

b) Does the vehicle make it back to where it started from? If not, how far from home does the vehicle stop?
If the area under the graph, shaded in red, represents the distance travelled on the way back.
T he distance travelled back towards home is 145m.

The car stops 200m from home.