You bicycle 3.2 km east in 0.1 h, then 3.2 km at 15.0 degrees east of north in 0.21 h, and finally another 3.2km due east in 0.1 h to reach its destination. What is the average "velocity" for the entire trip?

1 Answer
Dec 31, 2016

drawn
Let the direction of displacement towards EAST be along positive direction of x-axis and that of NORTH be along positive direction of y-axis. So the unit vector along these directions be hati and hat j respectively.

First displacement ( vec(d_1) is 3.2 km east in 0.1 h

So

vec(d_1)=3.2hatikm

Second displacement ( vec(d_2) 3.2 km at 15.0 degrees east of north in 0.21 h, This means the direction of displacement makes 75^@ with hati

So

vec(d_2)=(3.2cos75^@hati+3.2sin75^@hatj)km

Third displacement ( vec(d_3) is 3.2 km east in 0.1 h

So

vec(d_3)=3.2hatikm

Hence net displacement vec(d)

vec(d)=vec(d_1)+vec(d_2)+vec(d_3)

=[3.2hati+(3.2cos75^@hati+3.2sin75^@hatj)+3.2hati]km

=[6.4hati+(0.83hati+3.09j)]km

=[(7.23hati+3.09j)]km

The average velocity

v_"average"=abs(vec(d))/"Total time"=sqrt(7.23^2+3.09^2}/(0.1+0.21+0.1)(km)/(hr)

~~150.78"km/hr"

And the direction of average velocity along North of East is

theta =tan^-1(3.08/7.23)=23.14^@