What is Instantaneous Velocity?

1 Answer
Sep 7, 2014

Instantaneous velocity is the velocity at which an object is travelling at exactly the instant that is specified.

If I travel north at exactly 10m/s for exactly ten seconds, then turn west and travel exactly 5m/s for another ten seconds exactly, my average velocity is roughly 5.59m/s in a (roughly) north-by-northwest direction. However, my instantaneous velocity is my velocity at any given point: at exactly five seconds into my trip, my instantaneous velocity is 10m/s north; at exactly fifteen seconds in, it's 5m/s west.