Physics, visually · Motion & Forces · Concept 01
Speed & Acceleration
A car goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. How far does it travel while speeding up? Play first, then guess.
Speed is how fast you are going. Acceleration is how fast your speed is changing. Set both, press Go, and watch the car and the two graphs together.
- Set acceleration to 0 and press Go. The v–t line is flat: constant speed. The shaded area is a rectangle, and it equals the distance.
- Set start speed 0 and acceleration 3. The line slopes up and the area is a triangle. Check: distance = ½ × speed × time.
- Set start speed 20 and acceleration −4 (braking). Note the distance when the car stops. Now try start speed 10: the braking distance falls to a quarter, not half.
Slope tells how fast. Area tells how far.
On a speed–time graph, the steepness of the line is the acceleration, and the area under the line is the distance travelled. Double your speed and the braking distance becomes four times, because distance depends on speed squared.
Conveyor and AGV safety zones
A safety scanner on an AGV or robot cell must cover the braking distance s = v²/2a. A machine moving twice as fast needs four times the clear zone. This is why speed limits near people are so strict.
Lift and VLM tray motion
A vertical lift module tray never jumps to full speed. The drive follows a trapezoid v–t profile: ramp up (acceleration), cruise, ramp down. The area under that trapezoid is the tray stroke.
Motor and drive sizing
Peak motor torque is needed during acceleration (F = m a plus load). A gentler acceleration setting on the drive means a smaller motor.