Constant Acceleration: suvat

This is an interactive Geogebra page. I use it for teaching CAIE A-level Mechanics M1 .

You can run this page in a browser by clicking here or you can download the file if you want to. Geogebra pages can easily be embedded into other web-sites, including Firefly.

You can click-and-drag the green and yellow spots to change the initial and final of the velocities and the time taken. All the values shown on the velocity-time graph will update in real time.

With check-boxes you can show or hide the values on the graph, the equations with values substituted in and the grid. I hope the controls are fairly self-explanatory, but get in touch with me if you have a suggestion.

By the time students come to me, they have already seen the suvat equations before and many use them instead of using v-t graphs when I teach them, out of reluctance to draw graphs, and when they do draw graphs, they are often rubbish. Suffice to say, the students here are more confident with algebra than with graphs.

I plan to use this to encourage students to use area and gradient methods for velocity-time graphs. I’ll say something like “no, look the equations are switched off” if they try to use an algebraic method to solve a problem.

When we cover suvat, I may include a homework task which asks students to make v-t graphs of each of their solutions after they have finished their algebraic method, and they can use screen-shots from this tool. Then I’ll ask them to draw one for themselves and they can peer-assess.

If you think of another way to use this tool, please leave a comment on my blog - I’d be delighted to hear about it.