An object moves along a straight path for 5 s. Its initial velocity is 10 m s and its final velocity is -2 m s. What is the magnitude of the average velocity?
- AOption (a)
5 m/s
- BOption (b)
4 m/s
- COption (c)
6 m/s
- DOption (d)
8 m/s
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Correct answer
4 m/s
Why this answer is correct
The correct answer is 4 m/s.
Key Points
- The initial velocity (u) of the object is given as 10 m/s. This represents the velocity at the start of the 5-second time interval.
- The final velocity (v) of the object is given as -2 m/s. The negative sign indicates that the object is moving in the opposite direction to its initial motion at the end of the time period.
- The object moves along a straight path, which allows us to use linear kinematic equations to determine its motion parameters.
- For an object moving with uniform acceleration, the average velocity is calculated using the formula: Average Velocity = (u + v) / 2.
- Substituting the given values into the formula: (10 + (-2)) / 2 = 8 / 2 = 4 m/s.
- The question asks for the magnitude of the average velocity. The magnitude is the absolute value, which is 4 m/s. Hence, the correct answer is 4 m/s.
Additional Information
- Velocity as a Vector Quantity:
- Velocity is a vector quantity because it possesses both magnitude and direction. In this problem, the change from positive to negative velocity signifies a reversal in direction.
- Average Velocity vs. Average Speed:
- Average Velocity is defined as the total displacement divided by the total time taken.
- Average Speed is the total distance traveled divided by the time. If the object reversed direction, the distance would be greater than the displacement, making average speed higher than the magnitude of average velocity.
- SI Units:
- The standard International System of Units (SI) for velocity is meters per second (m/s). Other common units include km/h or miles per hour, but physics calculations typically require conversion to m/s.
- Displacement Calculation:
- Since Average Velocity = Displacement / Time, we can find the total displacement by multiplying the average velocity (4 m/s) by the time (5 s), resulting in a displacement of 20 meters.
Important Points
- Uniform Acceleration: The formula (u + v) / 2 is strictly applicable when the object undergoes constant acceleration. If the acceleration varied non-linearly over the 5 seconds, this simple arithmetic mean would not represent the true average velocity.
- Sign Convention: In one-dimensional motion, signs (+ or -) are used to denote direction. A negative final velocity implies the object decelerated to zero and then accelerated in the reverse direction.
- Magnitude: When a question asks for "magnitude," it specifically requires the numerical value without the directional sign. Even if the calculation resulted in a negative value, the magnitude remains positive.