Question

An object travels North at `5 m/s` for `2 s` and then travels South at `3 m/s` for `2 s`. What are the object's average speed and velocity?

Answer 1

Object Travel North at `5 m/s` for 2 second
Distance Travel in North Direction `d_N="Velocity"xx""time"`
`d_N=5xx2=10m`

Object Travel South at `3 m/s` for 2 second
Distance Travel in North Direction `d_S="Velocity"xx""time"`
`d_N=3xx2=6m`

Displacement from initial Position to Final position `s="Distance Travel in North"-"Distance Travel in South"`
(We are taking North side as Positive)
`s=d_N-d_S=10-6=4 m`

Average Speed `="Total Distance Travel"/"Total Time"`
`v_"avg"=(10+6)/(2+2)=16/4=4 m/s`

Average Velocity `="Total Displcement"/"Total Time"`
`vecv_"avg"=(4)/(2+2)=4/4=1 m/s`

Direction of average Velocity is in North