An object travels North at 6 m/s for 2 s and then travels South at 1 m/s for 4 s. What are the object's average speed and velocity?

1 Answer
Jul 10, 2016

The average velocity is 4/3 m/s toward the North.

Explanation:

The average speed of the object is simply the total displacement divided by the total time. Since the object first moves North for two seconds at 6 m/s, the object is displaced 12 meters to the North.

After moving South at 1 m/s for 4 seconds, the object now has a total displacement of 8 meters to the North.

The average speed then is:
8/6 = 4/3 m/s

And the velocity is simply the average speed in the direction traveled, North.