Motion Diagrams and Graphs
Motion diagrams are direct representations of the motion of an object, as opposed to graphs, which are abstract mathematical representations of the same motion. In the applet to the right an object moves across a portion of the screen, leaving the "tracks" of a motion diagram. (Do not think of up or down on the screen as vertical motion with respect to the Earth. Instead, imagine an object moving in space, or a hockey puck moving on ice as viewed from above.)