Question

you walk from the shop to school along the street, following the path indicated by the thick black arrows. the trip takes 120 seconds. summarize how you would calculate your speed and determine your velocity, explaining the difference between the two values.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the distance

The path consists of three - part lengths. The total distance $d$ is the sum of the lengths of the three segments. $d=20 + 200+10=230$ m.

Step2: Calculate the speed

Speed $v$ is defined as the total distance traveled divided by the total time taken. The formula is $v=\frac{d}{t}$. Given $d = 230$ m and $t = 120$ s, so $v=\frac{230}{120}\approx1.92$ m/s.

Step3: Calculate the displacement

Displacement is the straight - line distance from the starting point (shop) to the ending point (school), which is $s = 130$ m.

Step4: Calculate the velocity

Velocity $\vec{v}$ is a vector quantity and is defined as the displacement divided by the time taken. The formula is $\vec{v}=\frac{s}{t}$. Given $s = 130$ m and $t = 120$ s, so $\vec{v}=\frac{130}{120}\approx1.08$ m/s in the direction from the shop to the school.

Step5: Explain the difference

Speed is a scalar quantity that only considers the total distance traveled, while velocity is a vector quantity that considers the displacement (straight - line distance and direction) from the starting point to the ending point.

Answer:

Speed is calculated as the total distance ($230$ m) divided by the time ($120$ s), resulting in approximately $1.92$ m/s. Velocity is calculated as the displacement ($130$ m) divided by the time ($120$ s), resulting in approximately $1.08$ m/s in the direction from the shop to the school. The difference is that speed is a scalar (only magnitude) and velocity is a vector (magnitude and direction).