Average Velocity

The average velocity is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. An object’s average velocity tells us nothing about what happens to it between its starting and finishing points. The more detailed the input, the smaller the time intervals considered in a motion. We’re left with an infinitely small gap if we follow this process to its logical conclusion. The average velocity becomes the instantaneous velocity, or the velocity at a single moment, over such a time range. Average velocity can be expressed as a negative value to show direction.

Velocity

The velocity of a point is a quantity that describes how fast and in which direction it is travelling. A point always travels in a direction that is parallel to its path; for example, a circular path’s direction is always normal to a line from the point to the circle’s centre (a radius). The time rate at which the point moves along its route is measured by the magnitude of the velocity (i.e., speed). If a point travels a certain range along its route in a given time interval, its average speed is equal to the distance travelled divided by the time spent.

Velocity is a unit of measurement for the speed and direction of movement of objects. The distance an object travels in a given amount of time is measured by its speed. Because it simply defines the magnitude of how quickly an object is travelling, speed is a scalar measurement. Because it describes both speed and direction, velocity is a vector quantity.

Types of velocity

Constant Velocity

A constant velocity object does not vary its speed or direction. Only things that move in a straight path at a constant speed count as moving at a constant velocity.

Changing Velocity

Objects with variable velocity undergo a gradual shift in speed or direction over time. Acceleration is the measurement of changes in the velocity of things. Objects that move at a constant speed but in a different direction accelerate. Because their speed or direction is influenced by gravity, comets and asteroids in the solar system are examples of objects with fluctuating velocity.

Instant Velocity

A way of determining how rapidly an object’s speed or direction changes at a particular point in time is known as instant velocity. Instant velocity is calculated by shortening the period of time needed to detect acceleration to the point where the object does not accelerate during that time.

Terminal Velocity

The velocity of an object falling freely through the atmosphere is referred to as terminal velocity. In a vacuum, objects falling to the earth will significantly speed up until they reach the ground.

Velocity formula

Velocity is a description of how fast something moves. As a result, velocity is defined as the change in an object’s position divided by time. There is a magnitude (a number) and a direction to velocity. Meters per second (m/s) is the unit of velocity.

velocity= change in position / time =Δx / Δt = x2-x1 / t2-t1

Here x2 = final position and 

 x1=initial position

t= changes in time

Average velocity

The average unit of speed. Average velocity is a scale statistic measured in m/s or kilometres per hour. The average velocity is a vector value whose direction is the same as that of a position. Formula for average velocity is total distance travelled by total time.

Over a given time period, average velocity refers to the constant velocity that would produce the same resulting displacement as a variable velocity.

v= Δx / Δt 

Here v=average velocity

 x=changes in position and 

 t=changes in time

In other words we can also say that average velocity is the ratio of total displacement to the total time.

Vave = total displacement / total time

As we know displacement=average velocity ×time

Hence, s= Vave×t

In that case, the average velocity of an object over a given time interval is equal to the ratio of its displacement over that duration interval to the time taken.

Example of average velocity

The entire distance covered divided by the time interval gives the average speed. Suppose, someone who drives 20 miles north and then 20 miles south in 40 minutes (to arrive at the same location) has an average speed of 40 miles divided by 40 minutes, or 1 mile per minute (60 mph). Average velocity, on the other hand, considers overall displacement rather than distance. The total displacement is divided by the time interval to arrive at this figure. The average velocity in this case is zero mph since the driver’s displacement is zero.

 A constant rate of motion is not implied by average speed or average velocity.

Unit of average velocity

As we know the average velocity is calculated by taking the ratio of total displacement with respect to time. Because the SI unit of total displacement is the metre and the SI unit of total time is the second, the SI unit of average velocity is the meter/second.

Conclusion

The average velocity is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. The velocity of a point is a quantity that describes how fast and in which direction it is travelling. Velocity is a unit of measurement for the speed and direction of movement of objects. A constant velocity object does not vary its speed or direction. The average unit of speed. Average velocity is a scale statistic measured in m/s or kilometres per hour.