SPEED AND VELOCITY

CONCEPTS
Speed → It is a scalar quantity that refers to “how fast an object is moving.”
Velocity → It is a vector quantity that refers to “the rate at which an object changes its position.”

distance traveled (d )
velocity( v)= travel (t)¿
time ¿

Speed Velocity
Magnitude Magnitude and Direction
60 km/h 60 km/h, North
5 m/s 5 m/s, Southeast

direction
------------ -----------------------------------------

magnitude

Acceleration → the change of velocity

Sample Problem 1
A car travelling at a constant speed covers a distance of 750 meters in 25 seconds. Determine the
speed of the car.
25 s

750 m
 Given: Solution:
d
d = 750 m s=
t
750m
t = 25 s ¿
25 s
s=? s = 30 m/s

Equation: Thus, the car travels at a constant speed of 30 m/s.

Sample Problem 2
Two cars are on a race. Car A started 10 seconds after car B. Car A has a speed of 15 m/s while
Car B moves at a constant speed of 10 m/s. How long would it take the two cars reach the finish line?

sa = 15 m/s
Car A ta = ?

Car B tb =?
sb = 10 m/s

let: da = d b
tb = ta + 10s
sata = sbtb
Solution:
sata = sbtb
sata = sb (ta + 10s)
sata = sbta + 10sb
sata - sbta = 10sb
ta (sa - sb) 10sb
=
sa – sb s a - sb
 ta =
( ms )
( 10 s ) 10
tb = ta + 10 s
m m
15 −10
s s
100 m/ s
= = 20s + 10 s
5 m/ s
ta = 20 s tb = 30 s

Thus, it will take 20 s for Car A and 30 s for Car B to reach the finish line.

Sample Problem 3
Consider a car (Car A) travelling at a constant speed. After travelling 20 m, another car (Car B)
travels at a constant speed of 10 m/s that covers a distance of 100 m. Determine the speed of Car A.
sa = ?
Car A

20 m
sb = 10 m/s
Car B

100 m
let: ta = tb = t da = db + 20
da = db + 20 m sat = sbt + 20
Solution: sat – sbt = 20
tb = ta = t t (sa - sb) 20
=
100 m t t
tb =
10 m/ s 20
s a – sb =
tb = 10 s t
20 m
sa = sb +
10 s
= 10 m/s + 2 m/s
sa = 12 m/s

Thus, the speed of Car A is 12 m/s.

2. A train travels along a straight line at a constant speed of 20 m/s for a distance d and then
another distance equal to 2d in the same direction at a constant speed of 30 m/s. Determine the average
speed of the train for the whole journey?

3. Bill and Amy want to ride their bikes from their house to school which is 5.4 m away. It takes
Amy 40 minutes to arrive at school, while Bill arrives 20 minutes after Amy. How much faster is Amy’s
average speed for the entire trip?

4. Josh is riding on his bicycle at a constant speed. After travelling 10m, Ian followed him at a
constant speed of 10 m/s and reached a distance of 100 m to catch up Josh. Find the speed of Josh.

5. Joaquin mows the lawn at his grandmother’s home during summer months. Joaquin measured
the distance across his grandmother’s lawn as 11.5 m. if Joaquin mows one length across the lawn from
east to west in 7.10 s, what is the velocity of the lawnmower?