Describe any kinematics scenario and get a clean, labeled motion diagram in seconds. Dot spacing shows speed, vector arrows show velocity direction, and axis labels make every diagram slide- and print-ready.
Browse motion diagrams made with Figviz, or generate your own above
Evenly spaced dots along a horizontal axis represent an object moving at constant speed, with time-step labels beneath each dot.
Dots spaced progressively farther apart show an object accelerating to the right, with growing velocity vectors above each dot.
Dots spaced progressively closer together show an object decelerating, with shrinking velocity vectors illustrating the slowdown.
Each dot carries a labeled velocity vector arrow showing both direction and magnitude at each time step.
A vertical axis shows dots bunching near the peak (low speed) and spreading near launch and landing (high speed), capturing the full up-and-down trajectory.
Side-by-side layout: a dot motion diagram on the left and a matching position-time graph on the right, linking dot spacing to slope.
Start with one of these examples, then adapt the subject, labels, data, or layout for your own use.
Evenly spaced dots along a horizontal axis represent an object moving at constant speed, with time-step labels beneath each dot.
Physics motion diagram of an object moving right at constant velocity. Six evenly spaced dots along a horizontal axis, a time label (t0 to t5) under each dot, equal-length velocity arrows above each dot. Classic textbook style. White background.
Dots spaced progressively farther apart show an object accelerating to the right, with growing velocity vectors above each dot.
Physics motion diagram of an object accelerating to the right. Six dots with spacing that increases from left to right, time labels t0 to t5 beneath each dot, and velocity arrows that grow in length above each dot. Classic textbook style. White background.
Dots spaced progressively closer together show an object decelerating, with shrinking velocity vectors illustrating the slowdown.
Physics motion diagram of an object decelerating to the right. Six dots with spacing that decreases from left to right, time labels t0 to t5, and velocity arrows that shrink in length above each dot. Classic textbook style. White background.
Each dot carries a labeled velocity vector arrow showing both direction and magnitude at each time step.
Physics motion diagram with velocity vectors. A row of six dots at equal time intervals along a horizontal axis; above each dot draw a rightward velocity arrow labeled v0 through v5. Arrow lengths vary to show changing speed. Colorful style. White background.
A motion diagram (also called a dot diagram or ticker-tape diagram) is a physics tool that represents the position of a moving object at equal time intervals as a series of dots along a path. The gap between dots carries all the kinematic information: evenly spaced dots mean constant velocity, widening gaps mean the object is speeding up, and narrowing gaps mean it is slowing down. Figviz generates clean, labeled motion diagrams from a plain description of the scenario, so you can skip the graph paper and focus on the physics.
The single most important rule in a motion diagram is this: dot spacing equals speed. When dots are equally spaced the object moves at constant velocity and its acceleration is zero. When spacing grows from left to right the object accelerates in the direction of motion. When spacing shrinks the object decelerates. Placing velocity vector arrows above each dot lets you see the direction of motion and spot where acceleration changes direction, which is especially useful for projectile and bouncing-ball problems where the horizontal and vertical components behave differently.
Label every time step (t0, t1, t2, ...) so the reader knows the time interval. For vertical motion keep the axis clearly oriented upward and note the direction of gravity. If you are showing two-component motion (like a projectile) consider separate horizontal and vertical diagrams side by side. Always sanity-check that the number of dots matches the number of time steps you described, and regenerate if an arrow points the wrong direction or a spacing jump looks inconsistent with the scenario.
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