Final answer:
Velocity is the speed of an object along with its direction of motion. The average velocity for constant acceleration is given by ½(vo + v), and the equation for velocity as a function of time and acceleration is v = vo + at. These equations are fundamental for studying motion in physics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Equations for Velocity in Physics
The term velocity is often used in physics to describe the speed of an object along with its direction of motion. When we graph displacement versus time, the slope of the graph represents velocity. A key equation for average velocity (V) when acceleration is constant is given by:
V = ½(vo + v)
where vo is the initial velocity and v is the final velocity. Another important equation that connects velocity (v), initial velocity (vo), acceleration (a), and time (t) is:
v = vo + at
This equation is derived from the second kinematic equation, which is based on the assumption of constant acceleration. It indicates that the final velocity can be determined by starting with the initial velocity and adding the product of acceleration and time.
If an object steadily increases its velocity from 30 to 60 km/h with constant acceleration, the average velocity during this increase is calculated by taking the simple average of the initial and final velocities:
Ü = ½(30 km/h + 60 km/h) = 45 km/h
Each of these equations provides a different way to calculate velocity, which is a fundamental concept in physics, particularly in studying motion.