Definitions and Formulas
What is distance?
Distance is the total length of the path traveled.
A runner travels 100 m in 20 s. What is the runner’s average speed?
5 m/s
A student walks 30 m east and then 10 m west. What is the total distance traveled?
40 m
On a distance–time graph, what does the slope represent?
slope=speed
Distance always includes direction. Explain.
False, distance is scalar and only includes magnitude
What is displacement?
Displacement is the change in position from the initial position to the final position, including direction.
A car travels at 15 m/s for 8 s. How far does it travel?
120 m
A person walks around a track and finishes at the starting point. What is the person’s displacement?
0 m
Which object is moving faster on a distance–time graph: the object with the steeper slope or the object with the shallower slope?
The object with the steeper slope
Speed is a vector quantity. Explain.
False, a vector would include direction and speed does not.
What is the formula for average speed?
speed= distance/time
A car travels 80 km north in 2 h. What is its average velocity?
20 km/h north
A runner travels at 6 m/s for 45 s. What distance does the runner cover?
270 m
A distance–time graph remains at 80 m from 10 s to 25 s. What is happening during this interval?
There is no movement
If an object has a constant speed, its velocity must also be constant. Explain.
False. An object can move at constant speed while changing direction, causing its velocity to change.
Which quantities are vectors: distance, displacement, speed, or velocity?
displacement and velocity
A student walks 15 m south, 25 m north, and then 10 m south. Find the total distance and displacement.
distance= 50 m
displacement= 0 m
A boat travels 900 m in 3 min. What is its average speed in meters per second?
5 m/s
A straight distance–time graph has a slope of 4 m/s. How much distance is traveled in 12 s?
48 m
A runner completes one full lap and returns to the starting point. Which is greater: distance or displacement magnitude?
Distance is greater: the runner travels the full lap, while displacement magnitude is 0 m.
Why can average speed and the magnitude of average velocity have different values?
Average speed uses total distance, while average velocity uses displacement. If the path includes turns or backtracking, total distance and displacement are different.
A vehicle travels 40 km in 1 h and then 20 km in 0.5 h. What is its average speed for the entire trip?
40 km/h
Two objects begin at the same position. Object A travels 20 m in 5 s. Object B travels 40 m in 10 s. Compare their average speeds.
Both objects have the same average speed: 4 m/s.
A distance–time graph rises steeply, becomes horizontal, and then rises shallowly. Describe the object’s motion in each section.
An object moves quickly, stops, and then continues moving slowly
A car travels 60 m east and then 20 mwest. Which is greater: distance or displacement magnitude?
Distance is greater: distance is 80 m, while displacement magnitude is 40 m.