Question

1. The position of a particle moving along a coordinate axis is given by: s(t) = t^2 - 5t + 1. Find the speed of the particle

Answer 1

`v(t) = 2t - 5`

Explanation:

Given

`s(t) = t^2 - 5t + 1`

Required

The speed of the particle

To do this, we simply differentiate the position function

i.e.

`v(t) = s'(t)`

So, we have:

`s(t) = t^2 - 5t + 1`

Differentiate

`s'(t) = 2t - 5 + 0`

`s'(t) = 2t - 5`

So, the speed function is:

`v(t) = 2t - 5`