Final answer:
Graphing position and time data is a true and effective method to analyze the motion of an object. Motion graphs provide insights into velocity and acceleration through the slopes and areas under the curve. Such graphs are foundational in physics for understanding and interpreting different types of motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
One way to analyze the motion of an object is to graph the position and time data. This is true because motion graphs convey a lot of information about an object's movement. Graphs of motion such as position vs. time, velocity vs. time, and acceleration vs. time can illustrate different aspects of an object's movement. For example, the slope of a position vs. time graph indicates an object's velocity, while the slope of a velocity vs. time graph indicates acceleration. A position vs. time graph for an object that is speeding up would not be a straight line but rather a curve, indicating a changing velocity. Similarly, if an object is moving with a constant acceleration, the plot of displacement versus time squared will be a straight line, which represents uniform acceleration.
The area under a velocity vs. time graph can also provide information about the object's displacement over time. In the case of a ship coming into a harbor, the motion described by the velocity vs. time graph can give insights into how the velocity is changing, which can then be used to deduce the ship's acceleration. If the ship's velocity decreases as it approaches the harbor, the slope of the graph will indicate negative acceleration - namely, deceleration.