The velocity-vs-time graph shows the velocity of an object over a 10-second interval. The velocity rises linearly from 0 to 20 m/s over the first 4 seconds, holds constant at 20 m/s from 4 to 7 seconds, then decreases linearly to 0 by t = 10 s. What is the total displacement of the object from t = 0 to t = 10 s?
Explanation
📌 Area under v-t graph = displacement. Segment 1 (0-4s): triangle ½ × 4 × 20 = 40 m. Segment 2 (4-7s): rectangle 3 × 20 = 60 m. Segment 3 (7-10s): triangle ½ × 3 × 20 = 30 m. Total = 40 + 60 + 30 = 140 m. Distractor A misses one segment; C treats segment 1 as rectangle; D treats all as rectangles (very common graph error).