Average velocity= displacement/time

[jen333]

Hey,

I just some clarification for kinematics:
am i correct to say that:

average velocity= displacement/time
average speed=total distance/time

?

 

[SpaceTiger]

average velocity= displacement/time
average speed=total distance/time

The difference between velocity and speed is just that velocity is a vector and speed is a scalar. That is, velocity has a direction and magnitude, while speed is just the magnitude. For example, you might say that your speed is 2 m/s, while your velocity is [2,0,0] m/s (or 2 m/s in the x direction).

 

[Chi Meson]

jen333,

Your statement is perhaps "correct enough" if you just want a general distinction between velocity and speed. As a whole what you say is not incorrect, I would rate it as incomplete if this was offered as the definitions for velocity and speed.

 

[MathStudent]

Hey,

I just some clarification for kinematics:
am i correct to say that:

average velocity= displacement/time
average speed=total distance/time

?

yes that is absolutely correct.

a person that runs around a circular track and stops where he began has zero average velocity but non-zero average speed.