2007-08-30 10:55:38 · 4 answers · asked by gavrix27 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I think that should be the other way around. You can have an average velocity of 0 but an average speed greater than zero. Velocity is a vector quantity. It will combine the rate along with a direction. Speed only refers to the rate.
An example is a person runs at 6 mph due north for a minute and then turns around and runs at 6 mph due south for a minute. The average speed is 6mph but the average velocity is 0 since the person ended up right where he started.
The only way for speed to average out zero is if it had a negative quantity. In the strict sense, speed can only be positive. If it were negative, it would make no sense because there is no direction given with speed. A negative speed indicates movement in a specific direction (as opposed to positive). That would change it from scalar to vector.
2007-08-30 11:03:09 · answer #1 · answered by A.Mercer 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No.
Speed is the absolute value of velocity, i.e. s = |v|.
The only way the average speed can be 0 is if the object is stationary, in which case the speed and velocity are both 0 at all times.
2007-08-30 18:04:27 · answer #2 · answered by balletdancerbrad 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since speed is a magnitude (an absolute value) there is no such thing as negative speed, therefore you can't average 0 speed unless you never moved.
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2007-08-30 18:04:54 · answer #3 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
If the average speed is zero, then there was never any motion recorded.
2007-08-30 18:00:42 · answer #4 · answered by squirespeaks 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋