Speed and velocity

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Speed and velocity
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Equations
The speed is the distance traveled divided by the
time taken. The velocity is the change in
position divided by the change in time.
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Speed versus velocity
Are speed and velocity just two different words
for the same thing?

• In everyday life you probably use the words speed
  and velocity interchangeably.
• In physics class, speed and velocity are related,
  but not exactly the same.

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Exploring the ideas
Click the interactive calculator on page 80 on
speed.
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How fast is fast?

• See if you can come up with an example of when an
  actual object might move at each speed.
• 0.1 m/s about 0.22 mph (10 cm/s), the tip of
  the second hand on your clock
• 1 m/s 2.2 mph, a slow walk
• 10 m/s 22 mph, a brisk bike riding speed
• 100 m/s 220 mph, a supercars top driving speed
• 1000 m/s 2,200 mph, about the F14 fighter
  jets top speed

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Speed
speed

• Distance is always positive.
• Time is always positive.
• Therefore, speed is always positive!

So how do we tell the difference between moving
backward and forward?
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Velocity
velocity
The velocity is defined as the change in position
divided by the change in time.
A change in position, ?x, can be positive or
negative. That means that velocity can be
positive or negative.
Moving forward is a positive velocity. Moving
backward is a negative velocity.
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Exploring the ideas
Click the interactive calculator on page 80 on
velocity.
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Velocity is a vector
Velocity can have negative or positive values.
The sign of the velocity tells you the direction
of motion. Velocity is a vector. A vector is a
type of variable which includes directional
information in a mathematically useful way.
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Assessment

1. A swallow moves 80 meters in 5 seconds. What is
   its speed? What is its velocity? How can the two
   be different?

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Assessment

1. A swallow moves 80 meters in 5 seconds. What is
   its speed? What is its velocity? How can the two
   be different?
2. Write an English sentence that means the same as
   this equation

The speed is 16 m/s. The velocity could be
either 16 m/s or -16 m/s depending on the
birds direction.
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Assessment

1. A swallow moves 80 meters in 5 seconds. What is
   its speed? What is its velocity? How can the two
   be different?
2. Write an English sentence that means the same as
   this equation

The speed is 16 m/s. The velocity could be
either 16 m/s or -16 m/s depending on the
birds direction.
The velocity is the change in position divided by
the change in time.