Question

During a family road trip, you drive 200 km north in three hours. Afterwards, you drive 200 km south in two hours. Find the average speed and average velocity for your entire trip.

Answer 1

Given:

• Distance travelled north = 200 km in 3 hours
• Distance travelled south = 200 km in 2 hours

The total distance covered is:

200 + 200 = 400 km

The total time taken is:

3 + 2 = 5 h

Therefore, the average speed is:

Average speed = `"Total distance"/"Total time" = 400/5 = 80` km/h

Since the object travels 200 km north and then 200 km south, it returns to its starting point. Hence, the net displacement is:

200 − 200 = 0 km

Thus, the average velocity is:

Average velocity = ` "Displacement"/"Total time" = 0/5 = 0` km/h

Therefore, the average speed is 80 km/h, while the average velocity is 0 km/h.