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Physics Problems with SolutionsPHYSICS PROBLEMS WITH SOLUTIONS

Velocity and Speed: Solutions to Problems

Solutions to the problems on velocity and speed of moving objects. More tutorials can be found in this
website.
Problem 1:

A man walks 7 km in 2 hours and 2 km in 1 hour in the same direction.

a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey?

b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 1:

a)

speed and velocity - Problem 1

average speed =

distance

time

7 km + 2 km

2 hours + 1 hour

9 km

3 hours

= 3 km/h

b)

average velocity =

displacement

time

=
7 km + 2 km

2 hours + 1 hour

9 km

3 hours

= 3 km/h

Problem 2:

A man walks 7 km East in 2 hours and then 2.5 km West in 1 hour.

a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey?

b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 2:

a)

speed and velocity - Problem 2

average speed =

distance

time

7 km + 2.5 km

2 hours + 1 hour

9.5 km

3 hours
= 3.2 km/h (approximated to the nearest tenth)

b)

average velocity =

displacement

time

7 km - 2.5 km

2 hours + 1 hour

4.5 km

3 hours

= 1.5 km/h

Problem 3:

You start walking from a point on a circular field of radius 0.5 km and 1 hour later you are at the same
point.

a) What is your average speed for the whole journey?

b) What is your average velocity for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 3:

a) If you walk around a circular field and come back to the same point, you have covered a distance
equal to the circumference of the circle.

average speed =

distance

time
=

circumference

time

2 * 0.5 * Pi

1 hour

= Pi km/h = 3.14 km/h (approximated)

b) If you walk around a circular field and come back to the same point where you started the
displacement, which a change in position, is equal to zero. Since the displacement is equal to zero, the
average velocity is also equal to zero.

Problem 4:

John drove South 120 km at 60 km/h and then East 150 km at 50 km/h. Determine

a) the average speed for the whole journey?

b) the magnitude of the average velocity for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 4:

a)

speed and velocity - Problem 4

The time t1 to cover 120 km at a speed of 60 km/h is given by

t1 = 120 / 60 = 2 hours

The time t2 to cover 150 km at a speed of 50 km/h is given by

t2 = 150 / 50 = 3 hours

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average speed =

distance

time

120 km + 150 km

2 hours + 3 hours

270 km

5 hours

= 54 km/h

b) The magnitude of the displacement is the distance AC between the final point and the starting point
and is calculated using Pythagora's theorem as follows

AC2 = 1202 + 1502 AC = √(14400+22500) = 30 √41 km

average velocity =

displacement

time
=

30 √41 km

2 hours + 3 hour

= 38.4 km/h (approximated)

Problem 5:

If I can walk at an average speed of 5 km/h, how many miles I can walk in two hours?

Solution to Problem 5:

distance = (average speed) * (time) = 5 km/h * 2 hours = 10 km

using the rate of conversion 0.62 miles per km, the distance in miles is given by

distance = 10 km * 0.62 miles/km = 6.2 miles

Problem 6:

A train travels along a straight line at a constant speed of 60 mi/h for a distance d and then another
distance equal to 2d in the same direction at a constant speed of 80 mi/h.

a)What is the average speed of the train for the whole journey?

Solution to Problem 6:

a) The time t1 to cover distance d at a speed of 60 mi/h is given by

t1 = d / 60

The time t2 to cover distance 2d at a speed of 80 mi/h is given by

t2 = 2d / 80

average speed =

distance

time
=

d + 2d

d/60 + 2d/80

3d

(80d + 2d*60)/(60*80)

3d

200d/4800

3d*4800

200d

= 72 mi/h

Problem 7:

A car travels 22 km south, 12 km west, and 14 km north in half an hour.

a) What is the average speed of the car?

b) What is the final displacement of the car?

c) What is the average velocity of the car?

Solution to Problem 7:

a)

speed and velocity - Problem 1

average speed =

distance
time

22 km + 12 km + 14 km

0.5 hour

= 96 km/h

b) The displacement is the distance between the starting point and the final point and is the hypotenuse
DA of the right triangle DAE and is calculated using Pythagora's theorem as follows

AE = 22 - 14 = 8 km

DA2 = AE2 + ED2 = 82 + 122 = 64 + 144 = 208

DA = √208 = 4√13 km

c)

average velocity =

displacement

time

4√13 km

0.5 hour

= 28.8 km/h (approximated)

Problem 8: A man walked from point A to F following the route in the grid below in 3250 seconds.
Determine

velocity and speed - Problem 8

a) the average speed, in m/s, for the whole journey.

b) the magnitude of the displacement.

c) the magnitude of the average velocity, in m/s, for the whole journey.

Solution to Problem 8:

a)

velocity and speed - Problem 8

average speed =

distance

time

3 km + 1 km + 1.5 km + 0.5 km + 0.5 km

3250 seconds

6.5 km

3250 seconds

6500 m

3250 seconds

= 2 m/s

b) The magnitude of the displacement is the distance between the starting point A and the final point F
and is the hypotenuse AF of the right triangle AFH and is calculated using Pythagora's theorem as
follows

AF2 = FH2 + HA2 = 32 + 42 = 9 + 16 = 25

DA = √25 = 5 km

c)

average velocity =
displacement

time

5 km

3250 s

5000 m

3250 s

= 1.5 m/s (approximated)

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