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 ˆiandˆj respectively.

First displacement ( d1) is 3.2 km east in 0.1 h

So

d1=3.2ˆikm

Second displacement ( d2) 3.2 km at 15.0 degrees east of north in 0.21 h, This means the direction of displacement makes 75 with ˆi

So

d2=(3.2cos75ˆi+3.2sin75ˆj)km

Third displacement ( d3) is 3.2 km east in 0.1 h

So

d3=3.2ˆikm

Hence net displacement d

d=d1+d2+d3

=[3.2ˆi+(3.2cos75ˆi+3.2sin75ˆj)+3.2ˆi]km

=[6.4ˆi+(0.83ˆi+3.09j)]km

=[(7.23ˆi+3.09j)]km

The average velocity

vaverage=dTotal time=7.232+3.0920.1+0.21+0.1kmhr

150.78km/hr

And the direction of average velocity along North of East is

θ=tan1(3.087.23)=23.14