2007-01-11 13:52:25 · 5 answers · asked by disney 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Instantaneous speed is the speed at a given instant of time. For example:
A car is at rest to begin with. It starts moving and its speed increases with time. After 5 seconds it would be traveling at say 10 meters per second. After 10 seconds it would have been travelling at 15 meters per second. So the speed is increasing with time. The speed at any given time is called "instantaneous speed".
Next assume that the car has travelled about 120 meters in about 15 seconds.
The average speed is given by 120/15 = 8 meters per second.
Hope this is clear.
2007-01-11 14:05:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
speed is distance per unit time. instantaneous or average speed is merely different by the time interval of measurement. Average speed has a non zero measuring interval. Instantaneous velocity has a zero (in the limit) interval
2007-01-11 21:58:24 · answer #2 · answered by walter_b_marvin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Instantaneous = right a way once
Average = over time many times
2007-01-11 21:58:29 · answer #3 · answered by meemadee2000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you drive 60 MPH for one minute and then wait at a dead stop in traffic for 59 minutes then your average speed is one mile per hour because you covered a distance of one mile in one hour. But during that one minute, your instantaneous speed was 60, and during the other 59 minutes it was zero.
2007-01-11 21:56:26 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
!Instantaneous is with respect to a derivative, while average is simply a rate of change over a given period of time. GO CALCULUS!
2007-01-11 22:01:10 · answer #5 · answered by alias89 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋