Solutions to the problems on velocity and speed of moving objects.

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Problem 1:
A man walks 7 km in 2 hours and 2 km in 1 hour in the same direction.
a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey?
b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey?Advertisement

Solution to Problem 1:
a)

distance 7 km + 2 km 9 km
average speed = = = = 3 km/h
time 2 hours + 1 hour 3 hours
b)

displacement 7 km + 2 km 9 km
average velocity = = = = 3 km/h
time 2 hours + 1 hour 3 hours

Problem 2:
A man walks 7 km East in 2 hours and then 2.5 km West in 1 hour.
a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey?
b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 2:
a)

average speed distance = 7 km + 2.5 = 9.5 km = 3.2 km/h (approximated to the

= time km 3 nearest tenth)

2 hours + 1 hours

hour
b)

displacement 7 km - 2.5 km 4.5 km

average velocity = = = = 1.5 km/h
time 2 hours + 1 hour 3 hours

Problem 3:
You start walking from a point on a circular field of radius 0.5 km and 1 hour
later you are at the same point.
a) What is your average speed for the whole journey?
b) What is your average velocity for the whole journey?
Solution to Problem 3:
a) If you walk around a circular field and come back to the same point, you
have covered a distance equal to the circumference of the circle.

2 * 0.5 *
average speed distance circumference = Pi km/h = 3.14 km/h
= = Pi
= time time (approximated)
1 hour
b) If you walk around a circular field and come back to the same point where
you started the displacement, which a change in position, is equal to zero.
Since the displacement is equal to zero, the average velocity is also equal to
zero.

Problem 4:
John drove South 120 km at 60 km/h and then East 150 km at 50 km/h.
Determine
a) the average speed for the whole journey?
b) the magnitude of the average velocity for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 4:
a)

The time t1 to cover 120 km at a speed of 60 km/h is given by

t1 = 120 / 60 = 2 hours
The time t2 to cover 150 km at a speed of 50 km/h is given by
t2 = 150 / 50 = 3 hours

distance 120 km + 150 km 270 km

average speed = = = = 54 km/h
time 2 hours + 3 hours 5 hours
b) The magnitude of the displacement is the distance AC between the final
point and the starting point and is calculated using Pythagora's theorem as
follows
AC2 = 1202 + 1502 AC = √(14400+22500) = 30 √41 km

displacement 30 √41 km
average velocity = = = 38.4 km/h (approximated)
time 2 hours + 3 hour

Problem 5:
If I can walk at an average speed of 5 km/h, how many miles I can walk in two
hours?
Solution to Problem 5:
distance = (average speed) * (time) = 5 km/h * 2 hours = 10 km
using the rate of conversion 0.62 miles per km, the distance in miles is given
by
distance = 10 km * 0.62 miles/km = 6.2 miles

Problem 6:
A train travels along a straight line at a constant speed of 60 mi/h for a
distance d and then another distance equal to 2d in the same direction at a
constant speed of 80 mi/h.
a)What is the average speed of the train for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 6:

a) The time t1 to cover distance d at a speed of 60 mi/h is given by

t1 = d / 60

The time t2 to cover distance 2d at a speed of 80 mi/h is given by

t2 = 2d / 80

d + 2d 3d
average speed distance 3d 3d*4800 = 72
= d/60 + = (80d + = =
= time 200d/4800 200d mi/h
2d/80 2d*60)/(60*80)

Problem 7:
A car travels 22 km south, 12 km west, and 14 km north in half an hour.
a) What is the average speed of the car?
b) What is the final displacement of the car?
c) What is the average velocity of the car?

Solution to Problem 7:

a)
 distance 22 km + 12 km + 14 km
average speed = = = 96 km/h
time 0.5 hour
b) The displacement is the distance between the starting point and the final
point and is the hypotenuse DA of the right triangle DAE and is calculated
using Pythagora's theorem as follows
AE = 22 - 14 = 8 km
DA
2 = AE2 + ED2 = 82 + 122 = 64 + 144 = 208

DA = √208 = 4√13 km
c)

displacement 4√13 km
average velocity = = = 28.8 km/h (approximated)
time 0.5 hour

Problem 8: A man walked from point A to F following the route in the grid

below in 3250 seconds. Determine

a) the average speed, in m/s, for the whole journey.

b) the magnitude of the displacement.
c) the magnitude of the average velocity, in m/s, for the whole journey.

Solution to Problem 8:

a)
 3 km + 1 km + 1.5 km + 0.5 km 6.5 km 6500 m
average speed distance =2
= + 0.5 km = 3250 = 3250
= time m/s
3250 seconds seconds seconds
b) The magnitude of the displacement is the distance between the starting
point A and the final point F and is the hypotenuse AF of the right triangle AFH
and is calculated using Pythagora's theorem as follows
AF2 = FH2 + HA2 = 32 + 42 = 9 + 16 = 25
DA = √25 = 5 km
c)

displacement 5 km 5000 m
average velocity = = = =
time 3250 s 3250 s

The Pythagorean Theorem

One of the best known mathematical formulas is Pythagorean Theorem, which provides us with the relationship
between the sides in a right triangle. A right triangle consists of two legs and a hypotenuse. The two legs meet at a
90° angle and the hypotenuse is the longest side of the right triangle and is the side opposite the right angle.

The Pythagorean Theorem tells us that the relationship in every right triangle is:

a2+b2=c2a2+b2=c2

Example
 C2=62+42C2=62+42
C2=36+16C2=36+16
C2=52C2=52
C=52−−√C=52
C≈7.2C≈7.2

There are a couple of special types of right triangles, like the 45°-45° right triangles and the 30°-60° right triangle.

Because of their angles it is easier to find the hypotenuse or the legs in these right triangles than in all other right
triangles.

In a 45°-45° right triangle we only need to multiply one leg by √2 to get the length of the hypotenuse.

Example
We multiply the length of the leg which is 7 inches by √2 to get the length of the hypotenuse.

7⋅2–√≈9.97⋅2≈9.9
In a 30°-60° right triangle we can find the length of the leg that is opposite the 30° angle by using this formula:

a=12⋅ca=12⋅c

Example

To find a, we use the formula above.

a=12⋅14a=12⋅14
a=7