How is Speed Calculated? Distance, Displacement, and Velocity

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Questions and Answers

What is the definition of 'displacement'?

The total length traveled, always positive

The speed of travel in a specific direction

The vector sum of all distances traveled

The change in position, can be positive or negative (correct)

How is displacement calculated?

By adding the initial position to the final position

By multiplying the distance traveled by the time taken

By subtracting the initial position from the final position (correct)

By dividing the distance traveled by the time taken

What does the Pythagorean theorem help calculate in terms of displacement?

The total distance traveled

The initial position of an object

The average speed

The net displacement when an object moves in two different axes (correct)

In what scenario would the displacement and distance be the same?

An object moving only in one direction Signup and view all the answers

What is emphasized as the difference between displacement and distance?

Displacement considers direction, distance does not Signup and view all the answers

'Net displacement' refers to:

The overall effect of all movements combined Signup and view all the answers

What is the net displacement of Megan's travel in meters?

250 meters in the northeast direction Signup and view all the answers

How is average speed calculated?

As the total distance traveled divided by the total time Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between average speed and average velocity?

Speed is always positive while velocity can be positive or negative Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate time it takes for a train traveling at 45 kilometers per hour to travel 20 miles?

42.9 minutes Signup and view all the answers

How can feet per second be converted to miles per hour?

Divide by 5280, then multiply by 60 Signup and view all the answers

What is the net displacement of Jared's travel in meters?

170 meters in the northeast direction Signup and view all the answers

What is instantaneous speed?

The absolute value of velocity Signup and view all the answers

What type of quantity is average velocity?

Vector Signup and view all the answers

What distance did Megan travel eastwards?

$100$ meters Signup and view all the answers

What distance did Jared travel westwards?

$40$ meters Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The video focuses on distance, displacement, average speed, and average velocity.
A number line is used to illustrate the difference between distance and displacement.
Distance is the total length traveled, always positive, regardless of direction.
Displacement is the change in position, can be positive or negative, and is the vector sum of all distances in each direction.
To find displacement, subtract the initial position from the final position.
The example in the video is of an object that travels from position 4 to 2 and then from 2 to -4, resulting in a net displacement of -2 units.
The video also discusses how to calculate the displacement and distance of an object when it moves in more than one direction, using the Pythagorean theorem for calculating the displacement when the object moves in two different axes.
The video provides examples of calculating the displacement and distance for various scenarios, such as a car traveling in a straight line and a person walking in a diagonal direction.
It is emphasized that displacement is the net effect of all the movements, while distance is the total length traveled.- A person named Sally travels a distance of 170 meters in total, consisting of 50 meters west and 120 meters south.
To find Sally's net displacement, draw a right triangle with legs representing her east-west and north-south movements.
The net displacement (hypotenuse) is calculated using the Pythagorean theorem as the square root of (50² + 120²).
The answer is approximately 130 meters in either the east-west or the south-west direction.
Megan travels a total distance of 310 meters, consisting of 100 meters east, 70 meters north, and 140 meters east.
To find Megan's net displacement, redraw the problem as Megan traveling 100 meters east followed by 140 meters east and 70 meters north, creating a right triangle.
Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the net displacement as the square root of (70² + 240²).
The answer is approximately 250 meters in the northeast direction.
Jared travels a total distance of 310 meters, consisting of 120 meters east, 150 meters south, and 40 meters west.
To find Jared's net displacement, convert his westward movement to have the same direction as his eastward movement, creating a right triangle in the x-axis.
Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the net displacement as the square root of (80² + 150²).
The answer is approximately 170 meters in the northeast direction.
The difference between average speed and average velocity is that speed is a scalar quantity, whereas velocity is a vector.
Average speed is calculated as the total distance traveled divided by the total time, resulting in a scalar value.
Average velocity is calculated as the net displacement divided by the total time, resulting in a vector.
Instantaneous speed is the absolute value of velocity, which is always positive.
Velocity can be positive or negative, depending on the direction of motion.
A car travels 300 miles in 6 hours, resulting in an average speed of 50 miles per hour.
A car travels at an average speed of 40 feet per second, which is equivalent to 27.27 repeating miles per hour.
A train traveling at 45 kilometers per hour will take approximately 42.9 minutes to travel 20 miles.
To convert feet per second to miles per hour, divide by 5280 and then multiply by 60.
To convert miles to kilometers, multiply by 1.609.

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Description

This quiz covers the concepts of distance, displacement, average speed, and average velocity in physics. It includes examples of calculating displacement and distance for various scenarios and explains the difference between average speed and average velocity. The application of the Pythagorean theorem for calculating displacement when an object moves in two different axes is also discussed.