01

NOTE
P H Y S I C S

KINEMATICS
SPEED AND VELOCITY

What you already know What you will learn

• Introduction to kinematics • Speed

• Frame of reference • Average and instantaneous speed
• Motion parameters • Velocity
• Introduction to motion in one, two, and • Average and instantaneous velocity
three dimension

Speed

The distance covered per unit time is known as Example:

speed. If the speed of a car is given as 80 kmh-1, then it
Speed is usually given in terms of ms-1 or kmh-1. means the car will travel 80 km distance in 1 hour.
As the distance is a scalar quantity, speed is also
Distance s
Speed
= = a scalar quantity.
Time t

5
1 kmh-1 = ms-1
18

Example

(a) A car is travelling at a speed of 20 ms-1. Evaluate the value of its speed in kmh-1.
(b) A car is travelling at a speed of 36 kmh-1. Evaluate the value of its speed in ms-1.

Solution
(a) We know that, (b) We know that,
18 5
20 ms −1 =
20 × 72 kmh−1
kmh−1 = 36 kmh−1 =
36 × 10 ms −1
ms −1 =
5 18

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 02

Example

A particle travels a distance of 50 m in 10 s. Find the speed of the particle if its speed is constant.

Solution
total distance d 50
== = 5ms
−1
Average speed, s =
time t 10

BOARDS

Average speed
Average speed of a particle over a certain time is defined as the ratio of total length of path
travelled to the total time.
Total distance
Average Speed =
Total time
Example: If the distance between Delhi to Lucknow is 500 km. This is travelled by a car in 10 h.
Then, the average speed of car is as follows:
Total distance 500
Average Speed
= = = 50 kmh−1
Total time 10
Average speed does not ensure that the speed is constant throughout the motion but will ensure
that the total distance is covered in the mentioned time.

Speed at a particular time is known as instantaneous speed.

Example: Four friends recorded the distance travelled by a car after 04:00 pm as shown in the
table. They calculated the average speed of the car during the time they observed the car.

Observation Distance Time Total distance

Observer Average Speed = (ms-1)
time travelled (m) taken (s) Total time

Ram 10 min 10000 600 16.66

Shyam 1 min 800 60 13.33

Sita 1 sec 12.5 1 12.5

Gita 0.1 sec 1.24 0.1 12.4

From the observation table, if one asks what is the speed at 4 pm, the most correct answer will be
given by Gita because the observation time of Gita is closest to 4 pm.
In other words, accuracy of the speed at a specific time will increase as you calculate the average
speed at that instant for the smallest time interval.

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 03

Instantaneous speed

It is defined as the limit of the average speed when the considered time interval approaches zero.
Consider a particle covers ∆s distance in ∆t, where ∆t approaches zero, instantaneous speed can
be written as follows,
∆s ds
Instantaneous =
speed = lim
∆t → 0 ∆t dt
Mathematically, limit can be written as the derivative for ∆t tending to zero.

BOARDS
Velocity


The displacement covered per unit time is Displacement s
= Velocity =
known as velocity. Time t
Velocity is usually given in terms of ms-1 or As the displacement is a vector quantity, velocity
kmh-1. is also a vector quantity.

Average velocity
The average velocity of a particle over a Total displacement is found by subtracting
certain time interval is defined as the ratio of the initial displacement vector from the final
net displacement to the time interval. displacement vector.   
 ∆s r − ri
Total displacement =v = f
Average velocity = ∆t t f − t i
Total time

Instantaneous velocity
It is the ratio of displacement to an infinitesimally small interval of time.  
 ∆r dr
In other words, instantaneous rate of change of position with respect = v lim
=
∆t → 0 ∆t dt
to time, i.e., velocity at an instant is instantaneous velocity.

Example

Consider the three statements. Identify whether they are true or false.
(a) | Average velocity | = Average speed
(b) | Average velocity | = Instantaneous velocity at anytime
(c) | Instantaneous velocity | = Instantaneous speed

Solution
(a) As we know that average velocity is dependent on direction of motion, and speed is scalar, they
cannot be equal. Hence, this statement is false.
(b) As average velocity is total displacement divided by total time, and instantaneous velocity is just
for any instance, these terms cannot be equal everytime. Hence, this statement is false.

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 04

(c) As the instantaneous velocity and speed is calculated for a very small time (time tending to
zero), there is negligible change in direction of motion of the particle in instantaneous velocity.
Hence for a small time, magnitude of velocity and speed is the same.

Example

Find the average speed and average velocity of

the toy plane moving along the semicircle with a R=1m
constant speed.
T = 5 sec T = 0 sec

Solution
Given,
Radius of semicircle = R = 1 m
Total time = 5 s
Total distance travelled by plane is πR ⇒ π × 1 = π m
Total distance
Average speed =
Total time
π
⇒ Average speed = ms−1
5
Total displacement of plane is 2R = 2 m
Total displacement
⇒ Average velocity =
Total time
2
Average velocity = ms -1
5

Example

Find the average speed and average velocity of the R=1m

T = 5 sec
plane moving along the circle with a constant speed.

Solution
Given,
Radius of circle = R = 1 m
Total time = 5 s
Total distance travelled by plane is 2πR ⇒ 2 × π × 1 = 2π m

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 05

Total distance
Average speed =
Total time
2π −1
⇒ Average speed = ms
5
Total displacement is zero because the final and initial point is the same. So, the distance between
them is zero.
Total displacement
⇒ Average velocity =
Total time
0
Average velocity = ms -1 = 0 ms -1
5

Example

A car travelled half the distance with speed v1

and the other half with the speed v2, then find
its average speed. A B
v1, D/2 v2, D/2

Solution
Let the total distance covered by car be D m.
Let the time taken by car to cover the first half
distance with speed v1 be t1
D
t1 =
2v1
Let the time taken by car to cover the other
half with speed v2 be t2
D
t2 =
2v2
Total time taken = T = t1 + t2

Total distance
Average speed =
Total time
D D
⇒ Average speed = =
T t1 + t 2
D
=
D D
+
2v1 2v2
2v1v2
=
v1 + v2

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 06

Example

A man is travelling on a straight road. He covers the first half of the total distance with a speed
1
of 10 kmh-1, the next   th of the total distance with 20 kmh-1, and the rest of the distance with
4
15 kmh-1. Find his average speed.
10 kmh-1, d/2 20 kmh-1, d/4 15 kmh-1, d/4

A B C D

Solution
Given,
Total distance covered by man = d km
d
Distance from point A to point B with speed 10 kmh-1 = km
2
d
Distance from point B to point C with speed 20 kmh-1 = km
4
d
Distance from point C to point D with speed 15 kmh-1 = km
4
Let,
Time taken by man to cover distance from point A to point B = t1
d
2 d
t1 =
=
10 20
Time taken by man to cover distance from point B to point C = t2
d
4 d
t2 =
=
20 80
Time taken by man to cover distance from point C to point D = t3
d
4 d
t3 =
=
15 60
Total distance
Average Speed =
Total time
d
=
t1 + t 2 + t3
d
=
d d d
+ +
2 × 10 4 × 20 4 × 15
1 1 240
= = = kmh−1
1 1 1 19 19
+ +
20 80 60 240

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 07

NEET
Calculating average speed

Case 1 : Unequal distance covered with different speeds

v1 , s1 v2 , s2 v3 , s3 vn , sn
........
A B
Total distance = s1 + s2 + s3 + ........ + sn
Time taken to cover distance s1 with speed v1 = t1
s
t1 = 1
v1
Time taken to cover distance s2 with speed v2 = t2
s
t2 = 2
v2
Time taken to cover distance s3 with speed v3 = t3
s
t3 = 3
v3
.
.
.
.
So on to sn
Time taken to cover distance sn with speed vn = tn
s
tn = n
vn
Total time = t1 + t2 + t3 + ........ + tn
s + s2 + s3 + ........ + sn
Average speed (v) = 1
t1 + t 2 + t3 + ........ + t n
s1 + s2 + s3 + ........ + sn
Average speed (v) =
s1 s2 s3 s
+ + + ........ + n
v1 v2 v3 vn

Special case

If s1 = s2 = s3 = ........ = sn = s
ns
Average speed (v) =
s s s s
+ + + ........ +
v1 v2 v3 vn
n
Average speed (v) =
1 1 1 1
+ + + ........ +
v1 v2 v3 vn

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 08

Example
T
t = 0 sec t = 2 sec t = T sec
A car travel at a speed of v1 kmh-1 during the
first half of its running time and v2 kmh-1 during
the other half, find the average speed of the
car.
A B
v1 v2

Solution
T
Distance covered by the car with speed v1 in = d1
2
T
d1 = v1
2
T
Distance covered by the car with speed v2 in = d1
2
T
d2 = v2
2
Total distance = d1 + d2
T T
v1 + v2
Average speed (v) =
2 2 = v1 + v2
T 2

Example

1 2
A man travels with a speed of 10 ms-1 for   rd of the total time. For the next   rd of the total time,
3 3
he travels with 20 ms-1, find the average speed.
10 ms-1, t/3 20 ms-1, 2t/3

A B C

Solution
t
Distance covered by the car with speed 10 ms-1 for time =d
3 1
10t
d1 = m
3
2t
Distance covered by the car with speed 20 ms-1 for time = d2
3
40t
d2 = m
3
Total distance = d1 + d2
10t 40t
+
Average speed (v)= 3 3 = 50 ms −1
t 3

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 09

Case 2: Unequal speeds in different intervals of time

v1 , t1 v2 , t2 v3 , t3 vn , tn

A s1 = v1t1 s2 = v2t2 B
Total time = t1 + t2 + t3 + ........ + tn
Distance covered with speed v1 in time t1 = v1 t1
Distance covered with speed v2 in time t2 = v2 t2
Distance covered with speed v3 in time t3 = v3 t3
.
.
.
.
So on to time tn
Distance covered with speed vn in time tn = vn tn
v1t1 + v2t 2 + v3t3 + ........ + vnt n
Average speed (v) =
t1 + t 2 + t3 + ........ + t n

Special case

If t1 = t2 = t3 = ........ = tn = t
v1t + v2t + v3t + ........ + vnt
Average speed (v) =
nt
v1 + v2 + v3 + ........ + vn
Average speed (v) =
n

Example

Find the average speed and average velocity of the 2 cm

tip of the second hand when it turns for 15 s.

Solution The average speed of tip

Displacement Distance
Length of arc π
Given, = = cms −1
Length, l = 2.0 cm Total time 15
Time, t = 15 s Displacement by the tip of the second hand
Length of the arc = 2 2 cm
θ=
Length of second hand The average velocity of tip
π Displacement by the tip of the second hand
⇒ Length of the arc = θl = × 2 = π cm =
2 Total time
Distance travelled by the tip of the second 2 2
= cms −1
hand = π cm 15

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