# Mean Velocity?

1. Jul 18, 2009

### Petrucciowns

So far when calculating velocity I have used Initial velocity and Final velocity, but now I need to calculate the average velocity when given two separate velocity values, the highest velocity and the lowest velocity. So how would I find the average of velocity when I have a high of .7 m/s and a low of -1.25 m/s.

Thanks

2. Jul 18, 2009

### rock.freak667

$$\bar{x} = \frac{\Sigma x}{N}$$

OR to make life easier, the mean of 2 and 3 is (2+3)/5

EDIT: yeah should be (2+3)/2

Last edited: Jul 19, 2009
3. Jul 18, 2009

### Petrucciowns

Wait.. ,but if you divide anything by itself it is going to equal one. Also, how would I read that equation? I don't really understand it.

4. Jul 18, 2009

### Pengwuino

N is the number of samples you have. In your case, 2. I think he meant to divide by 2.

5. Jul 18, 2009

### diazona

Actually there's not enough information to answer that. Does the velocity change smoothly (i.e. at a constant rate) from the high velocity to the low velocity, or from the low velocity to the high velocity? Or does it oscillate between the high and the low velocity? Or is there some other behavior?

6. Jul 18, 2009

### Pengwuino

Oh yah, there is a problem. Knowing the maximum and minimum can't show you what the average velocity if you're dealing with the same object. The initial and final positions allow you to tell what the average velocity was given how much time has passed.