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Under what condition is the magnitude of the average velocity of an object equal to its average speed?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 25th, 2023
When an object moves in a straight direction, both the magnitude of average speed and average velocity is equal. Speed is a scalar quantity, meaning it has no direction. It shows how fast an object is moving. The particle is fast moving if the speed is high and if it is slow moving, it means the particle is slow moving
Velocity is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. This indicates the speed at which an object moves or changes position. The direction of the velocity vector is easy to find. Its direction is the same as the direction of the moving object. Even though the object slows down and the magnitude of the velocity decreases, the direction is the same as the direction the object is moving.
Table of content
Average Velocity
- Average velocity is the total motion of an object over a specific time interval.
- It is a Vector quantity.
- Velocity units are m/s or ft/min.
Average speed and velocity
- Average speed is the total distance an object travels in a period of time.
- Average speed is a scalar quantity.
- If an object moves in a straight line path, in this case the displacement equals the distance a particle moves in a given time interval.
Hence, when the body is moving in a straight path in this case the average velocity and the average speed is the same.
Summary:
Under what condition is the magnitude of the average velocity of an object equal to its average speed?
If a body moves in a straight path, the average velocity of an object will be equal to its average speed. Average velocity is the motion of a particle in a specific time whereas the average speed is the distance traveled in a time period.
