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The slope of the tangent line in a position vs. time graph is the velocity of an object. Velocity is the rate of change of position, and on a graph, slope is the rate of change of the function. We can use the slope to determine the velocity at any point on the graph.

This works best with calculus. Take the derivative of the position function with respect to time. You can then plug in any value for x, and get the velocity of the object.

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12y ago
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13y ago

It is the instantaneous speed at that specific time.

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13y ago

The slope of a line on a position/time graph, represents rate of change.

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12y ago

speed (not velocity)

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Q: What is the slope of the line tangent to the curve on a position-time graph at a specific time?
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Related questions

Is Average velocity the slope of the line tangent to the curve on a velocity time graph at a specific instant of time?

No, it is instantaneous acceleration.


How do you find the slope of a graph if it is a curve?

You find the slope of the tangent to the curve at the point of interest.


What does the slope of a tangent to the curve of a velocity-time graph measure?

the slope of a tangent to the curve of a V vs T graph is acceleration at that point in time. the derivative of the function for the V vs T graph would be the function for acceleration at any given time


What does the slope of the tangent to the curve on a velocity-time graph measure?

it measures the magnitude of acceleration, but it can't tell you the direction of the acceleration.


What is a tangent line?

Tangent line is a graph. This graph is to gather data.


How do you get the tangent line without the graph?

The answer will depend on the context. If the curve in question is a differentiable function then the gradient of the tangent is given by the derivative of the function. The gradient of the tangent at a given point can be evaluated by substituting the coordinate of the point and the equation of the tangent, though that point, is then given by the point-slope equation.


The slope of a line drawn tangent to a point on the curve of a position vs time graph describes what concept?

It is the instantaneous velocity, if it were a graph with velocity over time, then it would be acceloration


How do you determine a slope from a graph?

Slope = (vertical change)/(horizontal change), commonly referred to as rise/run. If the graph is a straight line, then you can count squares or measure how much change in vertical, over a specified change in horizontal. If it is a curve, then you need to have a tangent line (a line that touches the curve at a specific point and has the same slope as the line), then you can determine the slope of that line using the method described, above.


What do the asymptotes represent when you graph the tangent function?

When you graph a tangent function, the asymptotes represent x values 90 and 270.


How do you find instantaneous velocity from position time graph?

You can't, since the slope of the graph means average velocity and the area of the graph has no meaning. The only way to find instantaneous velocity from position-time gragh is by plugging the data into the kinematic equations to get the answer. Edit: Actually you can if you take the derivative of the equation of the curve it will give you the equation of the velocity curve


How is a distance- time graph different than a speed time graph?

The variable plotted along the vertical axis is the distance in the first case, speed in the second. The gradient of (the tangent to) the distance-time graph is the speed while the area under the curve of the speed-time graph is the distance.


How to calculate the gradient from the non linear graph?

Draw a tangent to the curve at the point where you need the gradient and find the gradient of the line by using gradient = up divided by across