Worded Problems with Solution in Physics

Speed
1. Calculate the average speed of a lion that runs 45 meters in 5 seconds. What could
be some possible instantaneous speeds?
Solution:

Speed =

d
t

The total distance is 45 meters, so d=45 meters.

It took the lion 5 seconds to reach a distance of 45 meters.
The total time is 5 seconds, so t=5.

Speed =

45
5

d = 9 meters per second or d = 9 m/s

2. How far is a house in New York if it takes you 5 hours to get there and your
average speed is 35 miles per half hour?
Solution:

Speed =

d
S
pee
d=
If
t

d
t

then

d=speed t

d=70 5
d=350 miles
3. John drove for 3 hours at a rate of 50 miles per hour and for 2 hours at 60
miles per hour. What was his average speed for the whole journey?
Solution:

d=speed t

d=50 3+ 60 2=270

Total time=3+2=5
Average Speed =

Total Distance
Total Time

Average Speed =

270
=54
5

The average speed is 54 miles per hour.

4. A boy walks at a speed of 4 kmph. How much time does he take to walk a distance of 20 km?
Solution: Time = Distance / speed = 20/4 = 5hours he will take for a distance of 20 km.

5. A train leaves from a station and moves at a certain speed. After 2 hours, another
train leaves from the same station and moves in the same direction at a speed of 60
mph. If it catches up with the first train in 4 hours, what is the speed of the first train?
Solution
Let the speed of the first train be s.
Distance covered by the first train in (2+4) hours = Distance covered by second train
in 4 hours
Therefore, 6s = 60*4
Solving which gives s=40.
So the slower train is moving at the rate of 40 mph.

Velocity
1. A man walks 7 km in 2 hours and 2 km in 1 hour in the same direction.
What is the mans average velocity for the whole journey?
Solution:

average velocity=

displacement
7 km+ 2km
9 km
=
=
=3 km/h
time
2 hours+1 hour 3 hours

Average velocity is 3km/h for his whole journey.

2. A man walks 7 km east in 2 hours and then 2.5km West in 1 hour. What is
the mans velocity for the whole journey?
Solution:

average velocity=

displacement
7 km2.5 km
4.5 km
=
=
=1.5 km/h
time
2 hours+1 hour 3 hours

Average velocity is 1.5km/h for this journey.

3. You start walking from a point on a circular field of radius 0.5km and 1
hour later you are at the same point. What is your average velocity for the
whole journey?
- If your walk around a circular field and come back to the same point
where you started the displacement, which a change position, is equal
to zero. Since the displacement is equal to zero, the average is also
equal to zero.

4. John drove South 120km at 60km/h and then east 150km at 50km/h.
Determine the magnitude of the average velocity for the whole journey?
Solution: The magnitude of the
displacement is the distance AC between
the final point and the starting point and
is calculated using Pythagoras theorem
as follows:

AC 2=1202 +1502 AC = 14400+22500=30 41 km

average velocity=

5.

displacement
30 41 km
=
=38.4 km/ h
time
2 hours+3 hours

Two cars are traveling on US 301 south to go to the same store that is 10 miles
way.
Car #1 makes in 15 minutes.
Car #2 makes it in 15 minutes.
Do the cars have the same average speed, velocity?

Since the cars make it at the same time, they must have the same average speed.

15 minutes is 0.25 hour, so average speed = 10 divided by 0.25

Average speed = 40 miles per hour.

We know the cars are traveling in the same directions.

Acceleration
1. A car is moving from rest and attained a velocity of 80 m/s. Calculate the
acceleration of the car after 5 s?

a=
Solution:

vf vi
t

It is given that, vf=80m/s, vi=0m/s, t=5s

800
a=
=16 m/ s2
5
Acceleration is 16m/s2.
2. Determine the acceleration of a coaster which moves with a velocity of 10 m/s,
after 2s its velocity is increases to 26 m/s.
Solution: Given: vf=26m/s, vi=10m/s, t=2s

a=

vf vi
t

a=

2610 16
= =8 m/s 2
2
2

The accelerations is 8m/s2.

3.

What is the acceleration of a motorcycle moving on a straight path

when the speed goes from 0 to 70 miles per hour in 5 seconds?
acceleration=

70
=14 m/h . s
5

It accelerated to 14m/h.s (14 miles per hour second).

In order words, each second, the speed increases by 14 miles per
hour.

4.

A car starts to move and reaches the velocity 80m/s in 10 seconds. Calculate the
acceleration of this car?

a=

Solution:

a=

Vf Vi
t

80 m/ s0 m/s 80 m/ s
2
=
=8 m/s /s=8 m/s
10 s
10 s

2
The acceleration of this car is 8 m/s

5.

A boy having 3m/s acceleration starts to run. Calculate the boys final velocity after 15
seconds?
Solution:

a=

a=3 m/s2 , t=15 s

changevelocity
timeinterval

Vf Vi=3 m/s 15 s
Vf 0=45 m/s
Vf =45m/ s

Friction
1.

changevelocity=a time