Final answer:
The statement regarding the position vs time graph of an object speeding up being a straight line is false; it is actually a curve.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Position vs Time Graphs
When analyzing the motion of an object, position vs time graphs provide significant insight into its behavior over a period. The position vs time graph of an object that is speeding up will not be a straight line, making option b. False.
Instead, the graph will show a curve where the slope (representing speed) increases as time progresses.
This curvature indicates acceleration, which is the change in speed over time. If an object were to move at a constant speed, then the position vs time graph would indeed be a straight line.
As for GRASP CHECK regarding average speed and average velocity, It is essential to understand that while speed is a scalar quantity, which only has magnitude, velocity is a vector quantity, which has both magnitude and direction.
In the case of a ball that has returned to its starting point (after being thrown upwards and coming back down, for example), the average velocity over the entire trip would be zero because it has no net displacement.
However, the average speed would be the total distance traveled divided by the time taken, which would certainly be more than zero. So, the statement is b. False.