Average speed formula

About the Average speed formula

The average speed of a body during a period of time is its mean value of speed. Because the speed of a moving body is not constant and varies over time, the formula for average speed is required. Even with changing speed, the total time and total distance traversed can be used, and we can get a single value to describe the entire motion using the average speed calculation.

Writing the formula

For the moving body, the average speed is given by the total distance covered by the body divided by the total time taken by the body to cover the distance.

Average speed = Total distance / Total time

Special cases

Case 1: : Let the body travel with the speed S1 for time t1 and S1 for time t1. Then total distance covered by the body is S1t1+S2t2 in total time t1+t2. Thus average speed is,

Average Speed =Average speed formula1

Case 2:Similarly, for 'n' different speeds, S1,S2,S3,S4,……..,Sn are given for 'n' respective individual time intervals, t1,t2,t3,...tn respectively, then average speed is given as,

Average Speed =Average speed formula2

Case 3:Average speed when body covers different distances, d1,d2,d3,...dn in different intervals of time, t1,t2,t3,...tn repectively is given as,

Average Speed =Average speed formula3

Case 4:Average speed when body travels with different speeds, S1,S2,S3,S4,……..,Sn and different distances, d1,d2,d3,...dn respectively is given as:

Average Speed =Average speed formula4

Case 5:: Average speed formula when body travels with two or more speeds (S1,S2,S3,S4,……..,Sn) for same amount of time (t1=t2=t3=...tn=t) is given as:

Average Speed =Average speed formula5

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Average speed formula
Average speed formula

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