What is the magnitude of the ball's average horizontal velocity?

[LiesselZ]

Homework Statement

Two soccer players kick a ball back and forth toward each other. They start off 50 meters apart, and walk toward each other with equal speeds. They kick the ball continuously until they meet in the middle one minute later. What is the magnitude of the ball’s average horizontal velocity in meters per second?

Homework Equations

I have no clue of how to solve this, can anyone give some guide, please? :(

 

[lewando]

What is the definition of average velocity?

 

[LiesselZ]

I thought average velocity meant average speed (speed="velocidad" in Spanish). Thank you very much, lewando, :)

 

[lewando]

In physics (English), "velocity" is a vector. "Speed" is the word for magnitude of a velocity vector. I don't think Spanish has the same kind of word mapping (la rapidez for speed?). Perhaps you could use "vector de velocidad" = velocity and "velocidad" = speed, I suppose.

The definition of "average vector of velocity" is very specific. It involves displacement. Anything in your textbook?

 

[LiesselZ]

Then I can just do 25 (displacement)/ 60 (seconds) and that's all, isn't it?

I don't have a textbook, that's from an online couse I decided to take, I'm reading the theory from wikipedia :)

 

[lewando]

That is correct for the magnitude of the average velocity vector (which is what you are being asked to find). The average velocity vector would include direction information.

"textbook" tells you how old I am.

 

[LiesselZ]

Got it. Thanks, lewando!