Average Velocity From Displacement
A particle moves 8 m east and then 6 m north in a total time of 5 seconds along a flat surface, what is the magnitude of its average velocity?
Select the correct option:
🔒 Solution Hidden from View
Submit your answer to unlock the detailed step-by-step solution.
More kinematics Practice Questions
A body starting from rest moves with uniform acceleration of 6 m/s² along a straight road, what dist...
A body starting from rest moves with uniform acceleration of 6 m/s² along a straight road, what dist...
A javelin is launched at 40 m/s at 45 degrees to the horizontal across a level field, with g equal t...
A javelin is launched at 40 m/s at 45 degrees to the horizontal across a level field, with g equal t...
A particle is said to be in uniform motion along a straight line when which of the following conditi...
A particle is said to be in uniform motion along a straight line when which of the following conditi...
A ball thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of 20 m/s reaches its highest point, taking g ...
A ball thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of 20 m/s reaches its highest point, taking g ...
From the top of a building a ball is dropped just as another ball is thrown up from the ground at 25...
From the top of a building a ball is dropped just as another ball is thrown up from the ground at 25...
Among the following physical quantities encountered in motion, which one is correctly classified as ...
Among the following physical quantities encountered in motion, which one is correctly classified as ...
The position of a particle along a straight line varies with time as x equals 2t cubed minus 3t squa...
The position of a particle along a straight line varies with time as x equals 2t cubed minus 3t squa...
A swimmer who can swim at 4 m/s in still water heads straight across a river flowing at 3 m/s, what ...
A swimmer who can swim at 4 m/s in still water heads straight across a river flowing at 3 m/s, what ...
A motorcyclist moving at 30 m/s applies brakes and decelerates uniformly at 5 m/s², how far does the...
A motorcyclist moving at 30 m/s applies brakes and decelerates uniformly at 5 m/s², how far does the...
On a velocity-time graph, a body moves with velocity increasing uniformly from 5 m/s to 25 m/s over ...
On a velocity-time graph, a body moves with velocity increasing uniformly from 5 m/s to 25 m/s over ...
The slope of a position-time graph at any instant for a moving particle physically represents which ...
The slope of a position-time graph at any instant for a moving particle physically represents which ...
Rain falls vertically at 4 m/s while a man walks horizontally at 3 m/s on level ground, at what angl...
Rain falls vertically at 4 m/s while a man walks horizontally at 3 m/s on level ground, at what angl...
About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- kinematics
- Topic
- average velocity from displacement
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
2m/s
As explained in NCERT Class 11, Chapter 4 (Motion in a Plane), average velocity is the net displacement divided by the total time taken, where net displacement is the straight-line vector from start to finish. The eastward and northward legs are perpendicular, so the resultant displacement magnitude is √(8² + 6²) = √(64 + 36) = √100 = 10 m. Dividing by the total time, average velocity = 10/5 = 2 m/s. The option 2.8 m/s wrongly adds the path lengths (8 + 6 = 14) and divides by 5. The option 1.6 m/s uses only the 8 m leg divided by 5. The option 10 m/s mistakes displacement for velocity by omitting the time division. Plausibility check: average velocity uses displacement, not total path, so it must be at most the average speed of (14/5) = 2.8 m/s; the obtained 2 m/s is correctly smaller, confirming consistency with the displacement-based definition.
This medium difficulty physics question is from the chapter kinematics, covering the topic of average velocity from displacement. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
Looking for more practice? Explore all physics questions or browse kinematics questions on RankGuru.