Calculating Distance Traveled with Changing Velocity

[AnomalyCoder]

Homework Statement

At t = 0 you have a speed of 30m/s. At t = 6, your speed is 14m/s. How far do you travel during this time interval?

Homework Equations

Velocity = Distance/Time
Distance = Velocity/Time

The Attempt at a Solution

Honestly don't know.
I would do it by averaging the two data points.. (30m/s + 14m/s)/2 = 22m/s.
Then just grab 6 seconds which is the change in time, and use (22m/s)*6m/s.
(22m/s)*(6 seconds) = 132 meters.
Is this correct?

 

[Doc Al]

Assuming that you know the motion is uniformly accelerated, and that the speeds are in the same direction, then your method is perfectly correct.

 

[Sniperman724]

Or another way to do it is to graph those two points, then find the area under the curve, because the integral of velocity is position(just a fancy word for the area under the curve)