If a crane is lowered at 4.5 feet per second, what is the crane's velocity and speed?
Velocity = 4.5 Ft/s. Downward.
Speed = 4.5 Ft/s.
To determine the crane's velocity and speed, we need to understand the difference between the two concepts.
Velocity refers to the rate at which an object changes its position in a specific direction. It is a vector quantity and includes both magnitude (speed) and direction.
Speed, on the other hand, refers to the rate at which an object covers distance, regardless of direction. It is a scalar quantity and only has magnitude.
In this case, the crane is being lowered, so we can assume the direction is downward or negative.
To find the velocity, we need to know the rate of change in position per unit of time. Given that the crane is being lowered at a rate of 4.5 feet per second, we can state the velocity as -4.5 feet/second since it is moving in the downward direction (negative).
To find the speed, we only need to consider the magnitude or absolute value of the velocity. In this case, the speed would be 4.5 feet/second (without the negative sign).
Therefore, the crane's velocity is -4.5 feet/second, indicating a downward direction, and its speed is 4.5 feet/second, indicating the magnitude of its motion.