On a speed-time graph, what does increasing the gradient indicate about acceleration?

• A. The velocity is decreasing.
• B. Steeper gradient indicates higher acceleration.
• C. The gradient has no relation to acceleration.
• D. The gradient indicates momentum changes.

Answer: (B)

On a speed-time graph, the slope shows how fast speed is changing each second. Acceleration is exactly that rate of change of speed, so a steeper gradient means speed is increasing more quickly per unit time, which is a larger acceleration. A positive slope indicates speeding up, while a negative slope would mean slowing down (negative acceleration). Momentum changes are about mass times velocity and aren’t what the graph’s slope directly measures. So, a steeper gradient correctly signals higher acceleration.