What is the difference between average and instantaneous velocity?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To start, consider the core concept: velocity describes how fast and in what direction an object is moving, and we distinguish between an average over an interval and an instantaneous value at a specific moment.

Option a: 'Average velocity is a scalar quantity, instantaneous velocity is a vector quantity.' This is incorrect because velocity, by definition, is a vector quantity (it has both magnitude and direction). Both average and instantaneous velocity are vector quantities, not one scalar and one vector.

Option b: 'Average velocity occurs in a time interval, instantaneous velocity occurs at a point of time.' This accurately captures the distinction: average velocity averages over a finite time interval (change in position over change in time), while instantaneous velocity is the velocity at an exact moment in time (the limit as the time interval shrinks to zero). This aligns with standard definitions in kinematics.

Option c: 'Average velocity is a vector quantity, instantaneous velocity is a scalar quantity.' This is incorrect because, as noted, both are vectors. The statement flips the true nature of the quantities, introducing a fundamental error about vector vs scalar properties.

Option d: 'Average velocity occurs at a point of time, instantaneous velocity occurs in a time interval.' This reverses the actual meanings: average velocity is not tied to a single instant but to an interval; instantaneous velocity is defined at a single time. The wording inverts the concepts and is misleading.

In summary, option b correctly states the conceptual distinction between average velocity and instantaneous velocity, while options a, c, and d mischaracterize fundamental properties or definitions related to velocity.

UCIC 202503 PHYS101 Quiz 1

What is the difference between average and instantaneous velocity?

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