- #1
ellieee
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- Homework Statement
- qn (di)-> the graph is a v-t graph, so shouldn't we say "constant velocity" instead of "speed"?
- Relevant Equations
- nil
Can you use speed and velocity interchangeably?
In summary, the conversation discusses the difference between speed and velocity in one-dimensional motion, specifically in a straight line. It is mentioned that in this type of motion, the concepts of speed and velocity are almost identical, with velocity being either positive or negative depending on the direction. However, this does not apply to other types of motion, such as circular motion. The conversation also mentions that the given data is not enough to determine if the motion is in a straight line, but since it is labeled as a velocity-time graph with constant velocity, it can be inferred that the motion is indeed in a straight line.
- #2
Doc Al
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Yes. It's better to describe it as constant velocity, as speed just describes the magnitude and not the sign. (I presume this is one-dimensional motion.)
- #3
Delta2
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In motion in a straight line such as in your example, the concepts of velocity and speed are almost identical: If speed is x, then velocity will be x or -x. I repeat, this holds only in motion in a straight line, it does not hold for other motions e.g. circular motion.
- #4
ellieee
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- 6
how can you tell it's in a straight line ?Delta2 said:
Last edited by a moderator:
- #5
Delta2
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I can not infer it from the given data (the screenshot of the graph isn't complete, doesn't completely show the text that describes the graph), somehow I thought it was given to you.ellieee said:
- #6
Doc Al
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Since they label it a velocity-time graph, where the velocity is constant it must be moving in a straight line. (Assuming it's labeled accurately.)ellieee said:
1. Can you explain the difference between speed and velocity?
Yes, speed and velocity are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings in physics. Speed is a measure of how fast an object is moving, while velocity is a measure of both the speed and direction of an object's motion. In other words, velocity includes information about the object's speed and the direction it is moving.
2. Is it correct to say that an object with a high speed also has a high velocity?
No, not necessarily. As mentioned before, velocity takes into account both speed and direction. So an object can have a high speed but a low velocity if it is moving in a different direction than the one being measured.
3. Are speed and velocity always measured in the same units?
Yes, both speed and velocity are typically measured in units of distance per time, such as meters per second (m/s) or kilometers per hour (km/h).
4. Can you give an example of when speed and velocity would be different?
Yes, imagine a car driving around a circular track at a constant speed. The car's speed would remain the same, but its velocity would constantly change as it moves in different directions around the track.
5. Are there any situations where speed and velocity can be used interchangeably?
Yes, in some cases, such as when an object is moving in a straight line without changing direction, speed and velocity can be used interchangeably. This is because the direction of motion is constant, so the velocity would be the same as the speed.
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