A car travels along a straight stretch of road.
It proceeds for 15 mi at 55 mi/h, then 29 mi
at 43 mi/h, and finally 37.9 mi at 33.7 mi/h.
What is the car’s average velocity during
the entire trip?
Answer in units of mi/h
Average velocity = (Total miles)/(Total time)
The total time is 15/55 + 29/43 + 37.9/33.7 = 2.072 hours
The total miles is 15 + 29 + 37.9 = 81.9 mi
Finish the calculation.
39.527
To find the average velocity during the entire trip, you need to calculate the total displacement and the total time taken.
First, let's find the total displacement. The car travels 15 mi in the first leg, then 29 mi in the second leg, and finally 37.9 mi in the third leg. The total displacement is the sum of these distances:
Total displacement = 15 mi + 29 mi + 37.9 mi
Next, let's find the total time taken. The car travels at a speed of 55 mi/h for 15 miles in the first leg, then 43 mi/h for 29 miles in the second leg, and finally 33.7 mi/h for 37.9 miles in the third leg.
To find the time taken for each leg, divide the distance by the speed:
Time for first leg = 15 mi / 55 mi/h
Time for second leg = 29 mi / 43 mi/h
Time for third leg = 37.9 mi / 33.7 mi/h
Now, calculate the total time taken by summing up the individual times:
Total time = Time for first leg + Time for second leg + Time for third leg
Finally, to find the average velocity, divide the total displacement by the total time:
Average velocity = Total displacement / Total time
Calculate the values and divide to get the average velocity, expressed in units of mi/h.