A graph going up means the quantity is increasing. Going down means decreasing.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Flat is not nought
A flat section means the quantity is not changing. It does not mean the quantity is nought.
Steepness is speed
A steeper section changes faster. Two rising sections can rise at very different rates.
Reading the whole story
A journey graph might rise, go flat while stopped, then fall on the way home.
Reading the shape as behaviour
A rising section means the quantity is increasing; falling means decreasing; flat means unchanged. Steeper means faster. A graph read this way tells a story before any number is taken off it.
Flat does not mean stopped, necessarily
On a distance-time graph, flat means stationary. On a speed-time graph, flat means constant speed — still moving. What flat means depends entirely on what is on the vertical axis, so read the labels first.
Features worth naming
Intercepts say where the quantity starts or reaches zero. Peaks and troughs mark maximums and minimums. Sharp corners mark sudden changes. Naming the features is how you translate a graph into a paragraph.
Going the other way
Given a story, sketch the graph: the shape matters more than exact values. Sketching from a description is harder than reading, and it is a good test of whether you have really understood the situation.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Tap and try it out.
The slope is 0: for every 1 across, the line goes 0 up.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Watch Ana Read a Journey
A distance-from-home graph rises steeply, goes flat, then falls gently.
- Step 1
The steep rise means moving away from home quickly.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
The Flat Part
Problem 1 of 2
On a distance graph, a flat section means the speed is what?
The Steeper Line
Problem 2 of 2
Of slopes 2 and 5, which section is changing faster? Give the number.
Describe the Shape
1 of 4
A rising graph means the quantity is increasing. 1 for yes, 0 for no.
2 of 4
Does a flat section mean the quantity is nought? 1 for yes, 0 for no.
3 of 4
A slope of −3 means rising or falling? 1 for rising, 2 for falling.
4 of 4
A slope of 0. Is the graph flat? 1 for yes, 0 for no.
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 1
A distance graph falls steadily. Is the person moving away or back? 1 for away, 2 for back.
What You Learned
- A rising graph means increasing; a falling graph means decreasing.
- A flat section means the quantity is not changing, not that it is nought.
- The steeper the section, the faster the change.