SOLUTION: A sprinter runs 400 meters around a circular track and returns to her starting point, covering a total distance of 400 meters in 50 seconds. What was her average speed? Her average

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Question 892679: A sprinter runs 400 meters around a circular track and returns to her starting point, covering a total distance of 400 meters in 50 seconds. What was her average speed? Her average velocity?
Answer by Theo(13342) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
the average speed is 400 meters / 50 seconds = 8 meters per second.

i believe the average velocity is going to be 0.

the reason is that velocity measures displacement while speed measures distance.

the formula for average speed is total distance covered divided by total time.

the formula for average velocity is total displacement divided by total time.

displacement is the final position of the object minus the initial position of the object.

if the object ends up at the same point that it started from then the total displacement is equal to 0.

here's a good reference that's reasonably easy to understand concerning average speed versus average velocity.

http://physics.tutorcircle.com/motion/average-velocity.html