Which statement about average speed and average velocity is correct?
AAverage speed is not the magnitude of average velocity
BAverage speed is the magnitude of average velocity
CAverage speed can never exceed average velocity
DAverage speed always equals average velocity
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Average speed is not the magnitude of average velocity
1. Average speed uses the distance travelled, while average velocity uses the displacement.
2. Distance travelled can be greater than the magnitude of the displacement.
3. So average speed can be greater than average velocity, and is not simply its magnitude.
4. The round trip to a shop is the clearest case, since the velocity there is zero while the speed is not.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Kinematics", section 2.3 Time, Velocity, and Speed_
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