Example 1

A truck driver drove from Edmonton to Jasper. He travelled at a speed of 60 km/h for the first half hour of the drive, which began at 17:30 hours. By 18:00 hours, he had reached the main highway. He increased his speed to 85 km/h for the next 2 hours. He then slowed to 30 km/h for 15 minutes due to construction. Then the driver increased his speed back to 85 km/h for an hour. The driver slowed to 80 km/h for the final hour of the trip to Jasper because it got dark.

Based on the information provided:

  1. Create a table of values and record the data provided.

  2. Sketch a graph of the relation of the truck driver's speed versus time, using the 24 hour clock.

  3. How many hours did the whole trip take?

  4. What time did the truck arrive in Jasper?

a. Create a table of values and record the data provided.

b. Sketch a graph of the relation of the truck driver's speed versus time, using the 24 hour clock.

Since most vehicles take less than a minute to accelerate or decelerate in speed, the increase and decrease in speed on the graph look like vertical lines with no slope when they actually do have a slight slope.

c. How many hours did the whole trip take?

The trip from Edmonton to Jasper took hours.

d. What time did the truck arrive in Jasper?

The truck arrived in Jasper at 22:15 hours or 10:15 pm.



Graphing calculators and some spreadsheet software can also be used to graph a set of data. For specific instructions, consult your calculator's manual or enter "graphing data using [enter the name of your graphing calculator or program]" into a search engine. More specific instructions for TI-83â„¢ and TI-84â„¢ calculators are provided in the Appendix.