Question

You are crossing the street to your school. A bus drives past you and pulls up to your school. How does your velocity compare to the velocity of the bus?

A) Your velocity is greater than the bus.
B) Your velocity is less than the bus.
C) Your velocity is equal to the bus.
D) Your velocity is unrelated to the bus's velocity.

Answer 1

Your velocity while crossing the street is less than the velocity of the bus because the bus covers more distance in less time before it comes to a stop at the school. Eventually, the bus reaches a velocity of zero when it stops, while yours remains constant until you reach the school.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing your velocity to that of a bus moving towards your school, it is likely that B) Your velocity is less than the bus. Velocity is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. In this case, if you are crossing the street at a typical walking pace while the bus is driving past you and then stops at your school, the bus's velocity is greater because it covered more distance in a shorter amount of time before stopping. Moreover, since the bus comes to a stop at your school, its velocity eventually becomes zero as it is no longer moving, while yours remains constant as you reach the school.